The second day of the “Mission Justice 2025” exercises will include 10 hours of live-fire exercises and a simulated blockade of Taiwan’s major ports.
China has begun a second day of military exercises around Taiwan, in the latest escalation of tensions on the self-ruled island.
China’s military said Tuesday it has deployed destroyers, bombers and other naval forces as part of the war exercises, which Beijing says are aimed at “separatist” and “external” forces.
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The drills were to include live-fire exercises between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time (00:00 to 10:00 GMT) in five sea and air zones around Taiwan, as well as air and sea patrols, simulated precision strikes and anti-submarine maneuvers, according to Chinese state media.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said some live-fire exercises would take place in what Taiwan considers its territorial waters, or within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of the coast, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
More than 80 domestic flights were canceled Tuesday, most to Taiwan’s outer islands, and more than 300 international flights could be delayed due to the diversion of air traffic during the exercises, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of Taiwan.
The exercises, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” began early Monday and came days after the United States announced the largest-ever weapons program for Taiwan, worth $11.1 billion.
State media outlet The China Daily said the exercises were “part of a series of responses by Beijing to US arms sales to Taiwan as well as a warning to the government.” [Taiwanese president] authorities of Lai Ching-te in Taiwan,” in an editorial published Monday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian also told reporters on Monday that the exercises were “a punitive and deterrent action against separatist forces seeking Taiwan’s independence through military buildup, and a necessary measure to safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Justice Mission 2025 marks the sixth time that China has held large-scale military exercises around Taiwan since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022.
A key focus of the “Justice Mission 2025” exercises will be “anti-access and area denial capability” to ensure that Taiwan cannot receive supplies from allies like Japan and the United States during a conflict, according to William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at Crisis Group.
They will also include simulating a blockade of Taiwan’s major ports to the north and south and taking control of strategically important waterways, such as the Bashi Canal and Miyako Strait, through which Taiwan imports many of its energy supplies, Yang said.
China’s Eastern Theater Command released a poster Tuesday titled “Hammer of Justice: Seal the Ports, Cut the Lines,” showing large metal hammers hitting Keelung Port in the north and Kaohsiung Port in the south.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it recorded 130 aerial sorties by Chinese aircraft, 14 military ships and eight “official ships” between 6 a.m. Monday (10 p.m. GMT, Sunday) and 6 a.m. Tuesday (10 p.m. GMT, Monday).
The exercises were also monitored by Taiwanese coast guard vessels and an undisclosed number of warships, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry.
