China surrounds Taiwan during military exercise

Tensions between China and Taiwan have reached a new threshold. Beijing has announced the launch of large-scale military exercises around the island, involving land, naval, air and missile forces. These manoeuvres, dubbed "Mission Justice 2025", include live-fire drills on maritime targets located north and southwest of Taiwan. According to the Chinese military, destroyers, frigates, fighter jets, bombers and drones are being mobilised, with the stated aim of testing multidimensional blockade and deterrence capabilities.

The Taiwanese authorities reacted quickly. The Ministry of Defence reported detecting 89 Chinese military aircraft and 28 warships and coastguard vessels near its territory, a level not seen since October 2024. Taipei also reported the presence of a formation of Chinese amphibious assault ships manoeuvring in the Western Pacific. In response, a command centre was activated and appropriate forces were deployed as part of a rapid response exercise.

Beijing fully acknowledges the coercive nature of these manoeuvres. The Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army says it wants to strengthen air-sea combat readiness patrols, seize overall superiority, blockade key ports and areas, and increase military pressure on the island. Maps published by the Chinese army show five areas around Taiwan where live firing is planned, accompanied by a warning to civilian ships and aircraft.

The Taiwanese authorities have denounced this as military intimidation and a violation of international law. The island's presidency strongly condemns the use of force to threaten neighbouring countries, while Taipei points out that some of the Chinese exercise zones are less than twelve nautical miles from its coastline. The civil aviation administration has also warned that the creation of a temporary danger zone, decreed for a period of ten hours, will severely disrupt regional air traffic, affecting more than 100,000 passengers and 857 flights.

On the diplomatic front, Beijing is warning "external forces" accused of arming Taiwan and using the island to contain China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry believes that such support only encourages independence supporters and brings the Taiwan Strait closer to a situation of imminent war. Reunification is presented as a non-negotiable objective, with any attempt to hinder it doomed to failure.

This show of force comes amid an already deteriorating regional context. It follows several weeks of tensions between China and Japan, as well as a new US arms sale to Taiwan, the largest since 2001. Beijing has responded to this decision with sanctions targeting US defence companies. For Taipei, these exercises confirm growing military pressure, while for Beijing, they constitute a direct warning to the Taiwanese authorities and their international supporters. Le Monde

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