The Presidential Office today denounced Beijing's actions as destabilizing, after China's military moved army, naval, air force and rocket force units around Taiwan today.
The "Justice Mission 2025" drills are aimed at testing combat readiness and delivering a "stern warning" against moves toward Taiwanese independence, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said.
The command said it had concentrated forces to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait and carried out live firing and simulated strikes on land and maritime targets.
Photo from Sina Weibo
The drills would continue tomorrow and include exercises to blockade the nation's main ports and encircle it, it said.
The drills tomorrow would also involve live-fire exercises, the command said in a statement containing a graphic demarcating five zones surrounding Taiwan that would be under sea and air space restrictions for 10 hours from 8:30am.
A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that dozens of Chinese military boats and aircraft were operating around the nation, some of which were "deliberately closing in" on Taiwan's contiguous zone, defined as 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the coast.
This marks China's sixth major round of war games since 2022 after then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the nation.
It also follows a rise in Chinese rhetoric over Beijing's territorial claims, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
The drills "serve as a serious warning to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and external interference forces," command spokesperson Shi Yi (施毅) said in a statement.
"The exercise focuses on training for maritime and aerial combat readiness patrols, gaining integrated control, sealing off key ports and areas and conducting multi-dimensional deterrence," Shi said.
Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) called on Beijing to exercise rationality and restraint.
China's actions not only grossly undermine the security and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, but also constitute a blatant challenge to international law and the international order, she said.
The military and national security units had prior and comprehensive knowledge of the situation, and made thorough preparations to ensure the safety of the nation and its people, she added.
The Ministry of National Defense said a response center has been established, and forces have been dispatched in response to the drills.
This exercise further confirms that Beijing is an aggressor and the greatest disruptor of peace in the region, the ministry said, adding that it underscores the need for Taiwan to accelerate development of its defense and deterrence capabilities.
While the Chinese military had practiced port blockades around Taiwan during war games last year, this marks the first time it has publicly stated that drills around the nation are aimed at "deterrence" of outside military intervention.
The drills began 11 days after the US announced US$11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever weapons package for the nation, drawing a protest from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and warnings the military would "take forceful measures" in response.
The Chinese military also released a poster titled "Shields of Justice: Smashing Illusions," featuring two golden shields emblazoned with the PLA insignia and the Great Wall of China, along with three military aircraft and two ships.
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan
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