China launches ‘Justice Mission 2025’ drills around Taiwan, warns separatism

China has launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan under the name “Justice Mission 2025,” expanding air and naval operations that effectively encircle the island and intensify pressure on Taipei. The exercises, proclaimed by Beijing as a reaction to what it regards as separatist activity, are instigated by already tense cross-strait relations, and the increased vigilance of the region. Taiwan government reported that it is keeping a close watch on the situation and preparing proper defenses as it calls on people to remain calm. The drills also draw attention from the United States and key Indo-Pacific partners, who have repeatedly emphasized stability and freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait.

What Beijing says the drills aim to achieve

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) described “Justice Mission 2025” as a coordinated set of air, sea, and information operations intended to test joint command, rapid deployment, and blockade-style capabilities. The exercise was put in Chinese in the form of a warning against the forces of Taiwan independence and foreign assistance to them. Beijing still holds that Taiwan is under China, and it refuses any official-to-official relationship between Taipei and the overseas governments.

The decision to announce the activity in several directions around the island is an indication of a position aimed at making the planning of the response of the Taiwan difficult. Analysts usually read this kind of drills as a practice to control major maritime approaches, press the air-defense identification zones, and establish dominance in the escalation but does not defeat the threshold of the open conflict.

Taiwan’s response and regional monitoring

In response to significant PLA action, the Taiwanese defense apparatus is usually used to monitor sorties, provide warnings, and bring air and seas resources in shadow. Authorities in Taipei have always described such exercises as coercive and destabilizing, claiming that such exercises interfere with civilian airways, increase chances of miscalculation, and destabilize the security in the region. Taiwanese public messaging has centered on resilience to continue living daily and show that it is prepared in previous episodes.

Outside Taiwan, the exercises will be of particular interest to the militaries of the neighboring countries as well as foreign shipping stakeholders. The Taiwan Strait remains a critical corridor for global trade, and any prolonged disruption can ripple across supply chains. The diplomatic statements of the regional capitals tend to focus on the de-escalation of the situation, the international law compliance, and the rejection of the one-sided alteration of the status quo.

Why this matters now

“Justice Mission 2025” underscores a broader trend: China is normalizing high-tempo operations near Taiwan to reinforce its claims and deter political moves it opposes. The harder the sides become, the more crisis management mechanisms, such as communication channels, rules of engagement, and transparency, are valued in the fight against unintended escalation. To Taiwan, the incident underlines why there should be layered air and maritime surveillance, civil defense preparations, and international involvement to maintain deterrence.