The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command has initiated comprehensive military exercises designated “Justice Mission 2025” surrounding Taiwan, signaling Beijing’s unwavering commitment to national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The multi-branch operations involving Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force personnel conducted maneuvers across the Taiwan Strait and surrounding maritime territories, implementing sophisticated drills focused on joint combat readiness, strategic superiority acquisition, and comprehensive deterrence capabilities.
According to theater command spokesperson Shi Yi, the exercises specifically targeted scenarios including sea-air combat patrols, joint superiority operations, strategic blockades of key locations, and multi-dimensional deterrence beyond island chain parameters. The timing of these demonstrations coincides with what regional security experts identify as provocative actions by external powers.
International analysts contextualize these developments against escalating geopolitical tensions. Warwick Powell, adjunct professor at Queensland University of Technology and former policy adviser to Australian leadership, notes that the drills directly respond to recent historic US arms sales to Taiwan and Washington’s updated National Security Strategy emphasizing the ‘first island chain’ concept. “The PLA is demonstrating its willingness and capacity to defend national sovereignty while simultaneously showing that talk of the ‘first island chain’ represents outdated strategic thinking,” Powell observed.
Pakistani security analyst Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development, emphasized China’s consistent adherence to peaceful coexistence principles while maintaining firm boundaries against external interference. “Western countries led by the US fail to recognize that China cannot allow foreign interference in its internal matters or endanger its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ramay stated, referencing recent US-Taiwan engagements that violate established diplomatic agreements.
Regional security expert Henry Chan from the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies highlighted the technical sophistication of the exercises, noting China’s demonstrated capability to implement comprehensive island blockades across vast areas with minimal preparation time. “The Taiwan question remains strictly China’s internal affair,” Chan reiterated, “and these drills reflect China’s consistent position against separatism while showcasing advanced military readiness.”
