China Launches Major War Games Around Taiwan, Citing US Arms Deal

China on Monday announced extensive military exercises around Taiwan, escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait after strongly criticising a major U.S.–Taiwan arms deal.

China’s Eastern Theater Command said it had mobilised army, navy, air force and rocket units for the drills, code-named “Justice Mission-2025.” The exercises are aimed at testing combat readiness and practising a blockade and control of key ports and critical areas around the island. According to the command, live-fire drills will be conducted on Tuesday across five maritime and airspace zones encircling Taiwan.

Beijing said the war games were intended to send a “serious warning” to forces pushing for Taiwanese independence and to what it described as “external forces” interfering in China’s internal affairs. Chinese state media analysts linked the timing of the drills to recent U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, calling them an escalation of “collusive actions” between Washington and Taipei.

Taiwan’s government strongly condemned the drills. The island’s defence ministry said it was “fully on guard” and would take concrete steps to defend Taiwan’s democracy and freedom. Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said the exercises “blatantly undermine the security and stability status quo of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region” and pose a challenge to international law and order.

China has significantly intensified military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, frequently conducting drills that simulate blockades and joint strike operations. Analysts say the latest exercises appear more explicitly designed to rehearse denying foreign military access to the region, heightening concerns over a potential future conflict involving regional and global powers.