China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take control of it one day — by force if necessary. File
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

People take photos of Taiwan’s flag being lowered during a daily ceremony, as China conducts “Justice Mission 2025” military drills around Taiwan, in Taipei, Taiwan on December 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Taiwan’s flag is lowered during a daily ceremony as China conducts “Justice Mission 2025” military drills around Taiwan, in Taipei, Taiwan.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

For a second day, China’s military on Tuesday (December 30, 2025) dispatched air, navy and missile units to conduct joint live-fire drills around the island of Taiwan, which Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference” forces.

Taiwan said it was placing forces on alert and called the Chinese government “the biggest destroyer of peace.”

Taiwan’s aviation authority said more than 1,00,000 international air travelers would be affected by flight cancellations or diversions.

The two days of drills — dubbed “Justice Mission 2025” — came after Beijing expressed outrage at what could be the largest-ever U.S. arms sale to the self-ruled territory, and at a statement by Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, saying its military could get involved if China takes action against Taiwan. China says Taiwan must come under its rule.

China’s military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement on Monday (December 29), but Beijing’s foreign ministry accused Taiwan’s ruling party of trying to seek independence through requesting U.S. support.

And on Tuesday (December 30) morning, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted a government spokesperson saying that any efforts to that end would be “doomed.”

“We urge relevant countries to abandon the illusion of using Taiwan to contain China, and to refrain from challenging China’s resolve in safeguarding its core interests,” said Zhang Xiaogang of China’s Defense Ministry.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said rapid response exercises were underway, with forces on high alert. “The Chinese Communist Party’s targeted military exercises further confirm its nature as an aggressor and the biggest destroyer of peace,” it said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday (December 29) that he was not informed of the military exercise in advance but that he was not worried because China has been “doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area.”

Touting his “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr. Trump suggested he didn’t think Xi was going to attack Taiwan.

Drills are not uncommon

Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a near-daily basis, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of the exercises.

Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said the drills would be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.

Mr. Shi said activities would focus on sea-air combat readiness patrol, “joint seizure of comprehensive superiority” and blockades on key ports. It was the first large-scale military drill where the command publicly mentioned one goal was “all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain.”

“It is a stern warning against Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” he added.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when a civil war brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan. The island has operated since then with its own government, though the mainland’s government claims it as sovereign territory.

Capabilities are tested

China’s command on Monday (December 29) deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles, alongside long-range rockets, to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait. It carried out live-fire exercises against targets in the waters. Among other training, drills to test the capabilities of sea-air coordination and precise target hunting were conducted in the waters and airspace to the east of the strait.

Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence of the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, said that as of 3 p.m. Monday, 89 aircraft and drones were operating around the strait, with 67 of them entering the “response zone” — airspace under the force’s monitoring and response. The ministry detected 14 navy ships around the strait and four other warships in the Western Pacific, in addition to 14 coast guard vessels.

“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait … does not only mean military pressure on us. It may bring more complex impact and challenges to the international community and neighboring countries,” Mr. Hsieh told reporters.

Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said Chinese authorities had issued a notice saying seven temporary dangerous zones would be set up around the strait to carry out rocket-firing exercises from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., barring aircraft from entering them.

The Taiwanese aviation authority said more than 850 international flights were initially scheduled during that period and the drills would affect over 100,000 travelers. Over 80 domestic flights, involving around 6,000 passengers, were also canceled, it added.

Commercial airlines began to announce dozens of cancellations and delays for domestic routes across Taiwan, particularly ones along islands near China.

The Chinese command released themed posters about the drills online accompanied by provocative wording. One depicted two shields with the Great Wall alongside three military aircraft and two ships. Its social media post said the drills were about the “Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion,” adding that any foreign interlopers or separatists touching the shields would be eliminated.

Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion. It still requires approval by the U.S. Congress.

Under U.S. federal law in place for many years, Washington is obligated to assist Taipei with its defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China. The U.S. and Taiwan had formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter’s administration recognized and established relations with Beijing.

Taiwanese army on high alert

Karen Kuo, spokesperson for the Taiwanese president’s office, said the drills were undermining the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region and openly challenging international law and order.

“Our country strongly condemns the Chinese authorities for disregarding international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries.” she said.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry released a video that featured its weapons and forces in a show of resilience. Multiple French Mirage-2000 aircraft conducted landings at an air force base.

In October, the Taiwanese government said it would accelerate the building of a “Taiwan Shield” or “T-Dome” air defense system in the face of the military threat from China.

The military tensions came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of “crashing waves and howling winds,” during a trip to Shanghai.

China has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, following a diplomatic feud sparked by comments by Tokyo’s new premier about a hypothetical attack on Taiwan. In response, Tokyo urged Beijing on Saturday (November 15, 2025) to take “appropriate measures”.Kyodo news agency reported.

In an ongoing dispute over Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on November 7, 2025, that use of force against the self-ruled island claimed by China could warrant a military response from Tokyo.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Japan had “conveyed the message to China and strongly asked it to take appropriate actions,” the report said. It did not quote him as elaborating on the measures. Kihara said Japan and China differ on the issue and it was vital to maintain communication, Kyodo reported.

On Friday (November 14), Beijing said that it had summoned Japan’s ambassador, while Tokyo said it had summoned China’s ambassador after an “inappropriate” and now-removed online post.

Tokyo has since said its position on Taiwan — just 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the nearest Japanese island — is unchanged.

In an online post late Friday (November 14), China’s embassy in Japan warned its citizens against travelling to the country.

“Recently, Japanese leaders have made blatantly provocative remarks regarding Taiwan, severely damaging the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges,” the WeChat post said.

The situation presents “significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan”, it added.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan solemnly remind Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Japan in the near future.”

Beijing insists Taiwan — which Japan occupied for decades until 1945 — is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to seize control.

China and Japan are key trading partners, but historical mistrust and friction over territorial rivalries and military spending often test those ties.

Ms. Takaichi, a conservative and China hawk, has toned down her rhetoric since assuming office last month. But just weeks into her administration, the neighbours are at odds.

Addressing parliament on November 7, Ms. Takaichi said that an armed attack on Taiwan could warrant sending troops to the island under “collective self-defence”.

If an emergency in Taiwan entails “battleships and the use of force, then that could constitute a situation threatening the survival (of Japan), any way you slice it”, she said.

Security legislation passed in 2015 allows Japan to exercise the right to “collective self-defence” under certain conditions including if there was a clear danger to the country’s survival.

Strategic ambiguity

Despite the escalating diplomatic spat, PM Takaichi has since indicated she has no intention of retracting her statement and insisted it was consistent with Tokyo’s long-standing policy.

But she said she would refrain from referring to specific scenarios in the future.

Previous sitting Japanese prime ministers have avoided commenting directly on Taiwan’s defence, choosing instead to maintain so-called strategic ambiguity.

The United States has long been similarly deliberately ambiguous on whether it would deploy its military to defend Taiwan.

In response to Takaichi’s comments, the Chinese consul general in Osaka Xue Jian posted about “(cutting) off that dirty neck”, apparently referring to PM Takaichi.

Japan lodged a protest over the since-removed social media post, and Takaichi’s ruling party passed a resolution calling for the envoy to be declared persona non grata.

Before taking power, Takaichi, an acolyte of ex-premier Shinzo Abe, was a vocal critic of China and its military build-up in the Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Takaichi has visited Taiwan in the past and met Taipei’s representative at a recent APEC summit, where she also held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

With inputs from AFP, Reuters

Published – November 15, 2025 12:47 pm IST

Image of a Taiwanese National flag. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Paraguay has canceled the visa of a low-level Chinese diplomat Xu Wei over alleged “interference in domestic affairs” and ordered him to leave the country within 24 hours, the Latin American Nation’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday (December 5, 2024).

Paraguay’s ministry didn’t specify what Mr. Xu’s interference had been, but the Taiwanese Embassy in Paraguay in a statement accused the envoy of trying to undermine the relationship between Paraguay and Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

“He infiltrated Paraguay with an unknown purpose, to undermine the firm friendship between Paraguay and Taiwan,” the Taiwanese embassy posted on X.

Local media reported that Mr. Xu had visited Congress with two Paraguayan opposition lawmakers, where he had urged Paraguay to recognize China over Taiwan, and said that the choice would benefit the soy-producing nation.

Paraguay’s long-standing diplomatic support for Taiwan has held back local farmers’ grains exports to China. Paraguay is the only South American country remaining with formal relations with Taiwan.

China considers Democratically-Governed Taiwan its own territory without any right to the trappings of a state. Taipei rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.

Paraguay’s Foreign Ministry said that Mr. Xu had come to Paraguay as part of a Chinese group for a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) meeting, but had violated the limits of his visa.

“This gentleman had a parallel agenda; he came to do internal politics that were not appropriate,” said Juan Baiardi, Deputy Minister of Administration and Technical Affairs of the Foreign Ministry.