China’s military announced Wednesday that it has wrapped up two days of large-scale exercises near Taiwan, concluding a show of force that heightened regional tensions as 2025 drew to a close.
In a statement released late Tuesday, the People’s Liberation Army said the drills, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” were completed successfully and served to test the military’s joint combat capabilities. The announcement, delivered through a short video accompanied by patriotic music, did not provide operational details or specify the exact time the maneuvers ended.
According to earlier notices, the exercises were conducted Monday and Tuesday in waters surrounding Taiwan, though it remained unclear whether some activities extended into Wednesday.
Senior Capt. Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, said Chinese forces remain on heightened alert and will continue to boost combat readiness through intensive training. He said the military would firmly counter what Beijing calls “Taiwan independence” movements and outside interference, while safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Taiwan remains Beijing’s most sensitive diplomatic and security issue. China claims the self-governed island as part of its territory and has vowed to reunify it with the mainland, by force if necessary. Taiwan separated from China in 1949 following the Chinese civil war and has since maintained its own democratic government.
China routinely sends military aircraft and naval vessels near the island and has expanded the frequency and scale of such operations in recent years.
President Xi Jinping alluded to Taiwan in his New Year’s Eve address, saying people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share close ties and asserting that national reunification is inevitable.
The latest drills drew criticism from several countries. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said the exercises increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait and urged Beijing to resolve disputes peacefully. The Philippines also expressed concern, warning the actions could destabilize the broader Indo-Pacific region.
The United States recently announced a major arms package for Taiwan, prompting sharp criticism from Beijing. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the drills, saying China has conducted naval exercises in the area for decades.
Source: AP