China surrounds Taiwan with warships, fighter jets in largest military drills on record
China launches largest military drills ever around Taiwan as war tensions spike following record $11.1 billion U.S. arms sale to the island nation.
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China on Monday launched its largest military exercises ever around Taiwan, surrounding the island with warships, aircraft and live-fire drills as tensions spiked following a record U.S. arms sale to Taipei.
The drills, known as "Justice Mission 2025," involve coordinated deployments of ground forces, naval vessels, fighter jets, drones and artillery across seven maritime zones encircling Taiwan.
China’s Eastern Theater Command said the exercises include simulated strikes on land and sea targets and rehearsals to blockade Taiwan’s main ports, a scenario analysts say would be central to any attempt to isolate or coerce the island.
Live-fire exercises are scheduled to continue through Tuesday, with China designating large danger zones for artillery firing closer to Taiwan than in any previous round of drills. The scope of the operation has already disrupted civilian air and sea traffic, forcing airlines to reroute flights and Taiwan’s aviation authority to plan alternative airspace corridors.
Chinese military officials defended the exercises as a response to separatism and foreign involvement. "It is a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity," Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said.
The military escalation comes less than two weeks after the U.S. approved an $11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan, the largest such sale ever. Beijing denounced the deal, warning it risks turning Taiwan into a "powder keg" and driving the region toward "military confrontation and war."
China launched its largest military exercises ever around Taiwan on Monday. ( Eastern Theater Command/Handout via Reuters)
CHINA WARNS OF RISING WAR RISK AFTER HISTORIC US ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN
The package includes 82 HIMARS rocket launchers paired with 420 ATACMS long-range missiles, giving Taiwan a new deep-strike capability across the Taiwan Strait. It also includes 60 self-propelled howitzers, advanced unmanned aerial vehicle systems, military software packages and anti-armor weapons.
