Ongoing Military Exercises with Live Ammunition Around Taiwan

SadaNews - China began its second day of military exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday, including the firing of live ammunition and a mock blockade of the island's main ports, in a message regarded as a "stern warning" to the Taiwanese authorities.

Taiwan's defense ministry reported that it had detected 130 Chinese military aircraft, 14 naval vessels, and eight government ships within 24 hours, marking the highest number of Chinese aircraft recorded in a single day since October 2024.

The Chinese island of Pingtan witnessed missile launches into the air on Tuesday morning, leaving behind white smoke, as part of exercises dubbed by China as "Justice Mission 2025."

The maneuvers aim to train forces on combat readiness patrols, port blockades, and multidimensional deterrence.

Beijing has confirmed that the drills are intended to respond to secessionist forces advocating for Taiwan's independence, considering it a legitimate measure to protect China's sovereignty and national unity.

For its part, Taiwan announced that some training areas were located less than 12 nautical miles from its shores, indicating that the Civil Aviation Administration had to temporarily close this area for ten hours.

In response to the exercises, the Taiwanese military deployed appropriate forces and established a response center, conducting a rapid response drill, while Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te confirmed in a Facebook post that he would act responsibly without provoking Beijing or escalating tensions.

Meanwhile, China warned against U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, asserting that it would counter them vigorously.

This tension follows a $11.1 billion U.S. arms sale to Taipei, after weeks of tensions between China and Japan over Tokyo's potential support for Taiwan in a future dispute.