Stern Warning: China Conducts Military Drills Simulating Port Blockade of Taiwan

china on Monday began extensive live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan, exercises that Beijing said were designed to rehearse a blockade of the self-governing island’s major ports. Taipei swiftly denounced the maneuvers as blatant “military intimidation” and a violation of international norms.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory, has long refused to rule out the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control. The latest drills come shortly after the United States—Taiwan’s most important security partner—approved major new arms sales to Taipei.

China’s military said the exercises involved drones, destroyers, frigates, fighter jets, and bombers, and included “live-fire training on maritime targets to the north and southwest of Taiwan.”

According to a military spokesperson, personnel from the army, navy, air force, and rocket force are participating in the large-scale drills, code-named Justice Mission 2025.

“The focus will be on sea-air combat readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, blockades on key ports and areas, and all-dimensional deterrence beyond the island chain,” Senior Colonel Shi Yi of the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command said.

Chinese authorities also released a map marking five large zones around Taiwan where additional live-fire operations were scheduled to take place on Tuesday, between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time. Vessels and aircraft were warned not to enter the designated waters and airspace “for the sake of safety.”

Taipei Condemns “Military Intimidation”

Taiwan’s Presidential Office spokesperson, Karen Kuo, criticized Beijing for its “disregard for international norms and the use of military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries.”

Taipei said it detected four Chinese coast guard vessels operating off Taiwan’s eastern and northern coasts on Monday. In response, Taiwan’s coast guard reported that it deployed large patrol ships to pre-position defensive responses and sent additional support units to the area.

Taiwan’s military said it conducted a rapid response exercise, deployed appropriate forces, and activated a response center to closely monitor the situation.

The island’s defense ministry accused Beijing of further exposing “its nature as an aggressor,” calling the Chinese Communist Party “the greatest destroyer of peace” in the region.

“Stern Warning” Against Taiwan Independence

Chinese military officials framed the drills as a clear political message. Shi Yi said the exercises were “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces” and described them as “legitimate and necessary actions to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity.”

A promotional poster released by China’s military depicted fiery “arrows of justice” raining down on a map of Taiwan, a visual that further heightened tensions.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that the simulated “blockade” focused on major Taiwanese ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south—critical hubs for the island’s trade and energy supplies.

Rising Regional Tensions

The last time China conducted major live-fire drills near Taiwan was in April, an episode that also drew sharp protests from Taipei. Tensions have since escalated further following Washington’s approval of an estimated $11 billion arms package for Taiwan.

Earlier this month, Beijing warned it would take “resolute and forceful measures” to defend its sovereignty and imposed new sanctions on 20 US defense companies, even though many of them have minimal business ties to China.

China has also reacted angrily to comments from japan. After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said last month that the use of force against Taiwan could justify a military response from Tokyo, Beijing summoned Japan’s ambassador, demanded a retraction, and advised Chinese citizens against traveling to Japan.

As China intensifies its military pressure on Taiwan, analysts warn that such exercises—particularly those simulating blockades—underscore the growing risk of miscalculation in one of the world’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints.