#3Politics
China holds major live-fire drills around Taiwan
China’s live-fire drills around Taiwan continued on December 30 in zones ringing the island.
1 Nov 2026, 07:59 · All sides · Written by Grok
12 sources · 4 countries🇨🇳 🇬🇧 🇶🇦 🇸🇬
- China’s Eastern Theatre Command launched joint drills around Taiwan on December 29, 2025, and continued live-fire exercises on December 30.
- The operation, named Justice Mission 2025, used warships, aircraft, artillery, and rockets in as many as seven zones encircling the island, including practice blockades of ports such as Keelung and Kaohsiung.
- Taiwan condemned the drills, raised alerts, mobilized forces, and said flights and shipping were affected; news reports called the exercises the largest by area and the closest to Taiwan yet.
How the views differ
Chinese state and official narrative
Beijing presents Justice Mission 2025 as a legal and necessary answer to what it calls “Taiwan independence” and outside meddling.
State officials say the show of force proves the military is ready and that foreign intervention would be costly.
They still describe peaceful reunification as the long-term goal.
- globaltimes.cn (St.)
- xinhuanet.com (St.)
- eng.mod.gov.cn (St.)
- news.cgtn.com (St.)
- @MFA_China (X)
Taiwan’s official narrative and independent international reporting
Taipei and independent outlets treat the exercises as pressure, not routine training.
They point to aircraft crossing the unofficial middle line of the strait, rockets near the island, and practice closures of major ports.
They argue the aim is to shake morale, disturb trade and flights, and make outside support for Taiwan look risky.
- aljazeera.com (St.)
- reuters.com (Ind.)
- theguardian.com (Ind.)
- straitstimes.com (Ind.)
- View A — @MFA_China: “The PLA #JusticeMission2025 drills near the Taiwan Island are a punitive and deterrent action against separatist forces who seek “Taiwan independence” through military buildup, and a necessary move to safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Open on X ↗
The drills happened. Chinese state outlets, Taiwan’s defence ministry, and independent news organizations all report that Justice Mission 2025 ran on December 29–30, 2025, with live fire, ships, aircraft, rockets, practice strikes, and simulated port blockades around Taiwan. That core account is solid. Reuters [Reuters](www.
Grey areas. Ask to dive deeper
Grok checks every side again and answers with sources.
Popular questions
Ask anything about this story. It's free with an account, 1 a week.
- August 2022
China conducts large-scale military drills around Taiwan.
- 2023
China holds a second major round of drills near Taiwan.
Coverage
12 sources · 4 countries
- State-funded 10
- Independent 1
- X / on the ground 1
CNGBQASG
All sources
- reuters.comTaiwan’s defence ministry tracked about 130 Chinese aircraft sorties, many of them across the median line into its air defence identification zone. Reuters Al JazeeraState-funded · United Kingdom
- Al Jazeera (independent)Taiwan’s defence ministry tracked about 130 Chinese aircraft sorties, many of them across the median line into its air defence identification zone. Reuters Al JazeeraState-funded · Qatar
- straitstimes.comThe drills included anti-submarine work, air-sea coordination, precision-strike practice, and simulated strikes on sea and land targets. Reuters Straits TimesState-funded · Singapore
- globaltimes.cn“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 Colonel Shi Yi, PLA Eastern Theatre Command spokesperson. Global TimesState-funded · China
- Global Times (state-funded)Sources: Global Times (state-funded); Xinhua (state-funded); PLA Ministry of National Defence / China Military Online (state); CGTN (state-funded); MFA ChinaState-funded · China
- Xinhua (state-funded)Sources: Global Times (state-funded); Xinhua (state-funded); PLA Ministry of National Defence / China Military Online (state); CGTN (state-funded); MFA ChinaState-funded · China
- eng.mod.gov.cnSources: Global Times (state-funded); Xinhua (state-funded); PLA Ministry of National Defence / China Military Online (state); CGTN (state-funded); MFA ChinaState-funded · China
- news.cgtn.comSources: Global Times (state-funded); Xinhua (state-funded); PLA Ministry of National Defence / China Military Online (state); CGTN (state-funded); MFA ChinaState-funded · China
- @MFA_ChinaSources: Global Times (state-funded); Xinhua (state-funded); PLA Ministry of National Defence / China Military Online (state); CGTN (state-funded); MFA ChinaX / on the ground
- The Guardian (independent)Sources: Reuters (independent); Al Jazeera (independent); The Guardian (independent); Straits Times (independent); Taiwan Ministry of National Defence statements via Reuters and othersState-funded · United Kingdom
- Reuters (independent)The drills happened. Chinese state outlets, Taiwan’s defence ministry, and independent news organizations all report that Justice Mission 2025 ran on December 29–30, 2025, with live fire, ships, aircraft, rockets, practice strikes, and simulated port blockades around Taiwan. That core account is solid. Reuters ReutersIndependent · United Kingdom
- globaltimes.cnChinese state media and officials (Eastern Theatre Command spokesperson Shi Yi, Defence Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang, Taiwan Affairs Office) framed the drills as a “stern warning” to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and external interference, a “legitimate and necessary” action to safeguard sovereignty and national unity, and a response to recent US arms sales and perceived collusion.State-funded · China