China’s “Justice Mission 2025” Drills Around Taiwan: Live-Fire Escalation Raises War Fears in Indo-Pacific

Beijing’s “Justice Mission 2025” Explained

China’s People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command has deployed its Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force for joint drills around Taiwan under the banner “Justice Mission 2025.” The announcement describes the exercise as a “stern warning” to Taiwanese independence forces and to foreign militaries seen as interfering in what Beijing calls its internal affairs.

According to official notices, the drills span the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of Taiwan Island, effectively encircling the self-ruled democracy. A separate map released by Chinese authorities outlines five large maritime and airspace zones where live firing will be conducted over a defined period, with warnings for civilian ships and aircraft to stay away.

Scope of Live-Fire Drills and Military Assets

The exercise includes sea–air combat readiness patrols, simulated strikes, and blockade-style operations aimed at seizing “comprehensive superiority” in a cross-strait conflict. Chinese state media report the use of destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, drones and long-range rocket systems to test integrated coordination and battlefield dominance.

Live-fire activities are scheduled in five designated zones on Tuesday, with restrictions typically running for about 10 hours during the day, highlighting the realism and intensity of the drills. The areas are significantly closer to Taiwan’s main island than in some previous exercises, underlining a deliberate message of proximity and pressure on Taipei.

Taiwan’s Response and Decentralised Defence Plan

Taiwan’s military has condemned the drills as unilateral military intimidation and says it has established a response centre to track PLA movements in real time. Officials say “appropriate forces” have been deployed around the island, and rapid response exercises are underway to ensure troops can react instantly if drills turn into an actual attack, echoing the measures described in the video.

Taiwan’s defence ministry has already outlined a strategy of “distributed control,” under which all units will implement decentralized operations without waiting for top-level orders if China launches a sudden strike. This approach is designed to keep Taiwan fighting even if PLA attacks attempt to cripple central command, allowing local commanders to carry out combat missions under broad operational guidance.

Regional and Global Geopolitical Stakes

Beijing insists Taiwan is part of its sovereign territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification, repeatedly stating that reunification is a matter of “sooner or later.” The timing and scale of “Justice Mission 2025” follow rising tensions over US arms sales to Taiwan and broader Indo-Pacific security competition, adding another layer of uncertainty to regional stability.

For Indo-Pacific stakeholders, these drills reinforce concerns that frequent high-intensity exercises around Taiwan could normalise military pressure and increase the risk of miscalculation at sea or in the air. As China showcases its growing joint-warfare capabilities and Taiwan doubles down on rapid, decentralized defence, the Taiwan Strait is set to remain a central flashpoint in global geopolitics.