China launches largest war drills around Taiwan after record US arms sale

China on Monday began its largest military exercise in history around Taiwansurrounding the island with warships, aircraft and live-fire exercises as tensions soared following a record US arms sale to Taipei.

The exercise, known as Justice Mission 2025, involves the coordinated deployment of ground forces, naval vessels, fighter jets, drones and artillery in seven maritime zones surrounding Taiwan.

China's Eastern Theater Command said the drills included simulated strikes against land and sea targets, as well as a rehearsal blockade of Taiwan's main ports. This scenario would be central to any attempt to isolate or coerce the island, analysts say.

The live-fire exercise is scheduled to continue through Tuesday, with China identifying large danger zones for artillery attacks closer to Taiwan than in any previous round of exercises. The scale of the operation has already disrupted civil air and sea traffic, forcing airlines to reroute flights and Taiwan's aviation authority to plan alternative airspace corridors.

The Chinese military called the exercises a response to separatism and foreign interference. “This is a stern warning against separatist forces seeking Taiwan independence and external interference forces, and a legitimate and necessary action to protect China's sovereignty and national unity,” said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command.

The military escalation comes less than two weeks after the United States approved an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, the largest such sale ever. Beijing condemned the deal, warning it risks turning Taiwan into a “powder keg” and pushing the region toward “military confrontation and war.”

CHINA WARNING OF RISING RISK OF WAR AFTER HISTORIC AMERICAN WEAPONS SALE TO TAIWAN

The package includes 82 HIMARS missile launchers combined with 420 long-range ATACMS missiles, giving Taiwan new deep strike capabilities across the Taiwan Strait. It also includes 60 self-propelled howitzers, modern unmanned aerial systems, military software packages and anti-tank weapons.

“The 'Taiwan independence' forces on the island seek independence by force and resist reunification by force, wasting the people's hard-earned money to buy weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder keg,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

“This cannot save the doomed fate of “Taiwan independence”, but will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait into a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war. US support for “Taiwan independence” with weapons will ultimately backfire. Using Taiwan to contain China will not succeed.”

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During the exercise, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 89 Chinese military aircraft, 14 naval ships and 14 coast guard ships were operating around the island, with additional warships seen further out in the Western Pacific. Some Chinese vessels engaged in a close standoff with Taiwanese ships near the island's contiguous zone, about 24 nautical miles from the coast.

“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait… not only represents military pressure on us, but also may create more complex problems and consequences for the international community and neighboring countries,” Hsieh Chih-sheng, deputy chief of the Taiwan General Staff for Intelligence, told reporters.

Taiwan has put its military on high alert and said it is ready to conduct quick-reaction exercises if the drills escalate. The Defense Department has released videos showcasing its own capabilities, including U.S.-made HIMARS systems, and the Coast Guard has deployed large patrol ships to monitor Chinese vessels near its waters.

Chinese state media said the drills were focused on blockading Taiwan's key deep-sea ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south, adding to concerns that Beijing was exploring blockade options short of a direct invasion.

China also released propaganda videos and posters along with the drills, including footage showing automated humanoid robots, swarms of microdrones and armed robotic dogs attacking the island, as well as images showing civilian vessels that analysts say could support an amphibious assault.

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“I think these drills are just meant to scare us,” said Lin Wei-ming, a 31-year-old teacher from Taipei. “Similar exercises have been carried out before… The political side of events can only be resolved Current government of Taiwan and how they choose to respond.”

China says Taiwan is its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. Taiwan rejects this claim, arguing that only its people can decide the island's future.