China Conducts Intense Live-Fire Military Drills Near Taiwan Amid Tensions with Separatist Forces

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China launched live-fire drills around Taiwan on Monday that it said would simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island’s key ports, prompting Taipei to condemn Beijing’s “military intimidation”.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has refused to rule out using military action to seize the island democracy.

The latest show of force follows a bumper round of arms sales to Taipei by the United States, Taiwan’s main security backer.

Beijing warned on Monday that “external forces” arming Taipei would “push the Taiwan Strait into a perilous situation of imminent war”, but did not mention any countries by name.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, has declared that any efforts to impede the country’s unification with Taiwan are “doomed to fail.” This assertion comes amid heightened tensions and military maneuvers in the region.

China said earlier it was conducting “live-fire training on maritime targets to the north and southwest of Taiwan” in large-scale exercises involving destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and drones.

A military spokesman said Beijing would send army, navy, air force and rocket force troops for “major military drills” code-named “Justice Mission 2025”.

According to Senior Colonel Shi Yi of the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, the military activities are set to emphasize various strategic operations. These include “sea-air combat readiness patrol, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, blockade of key ports and areas, as well as all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain.” The comprehensive scale of these exercises underscores the seriousness with which China views its territorial ambitions.

Chinese authorities also published a map of five large zones around Taiwan where further live-fire activities would take place on Tuesday.

The Eastern Theater Command has issued a cautionary note, advising irrelevant vessels and aircraft to steer clear of the designated waters and airspace for safety reasons. This advisory highlights the potential for conflict in these strategically sensitive areas.

Taiwan’s government reported on Monday the presence of four Chinese coastguard ships detected off its northern and eastern shores. This development has raised alarms in Taipei, which views these actions as provocative.

Taiwan condemned China’s “disregard for international norms and the use of military intimidation to threaten neighbouring countries”, said Karen Kuo, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s Presidential Office.

Reacting to the ongoing drills, Taiwan’s defense ministry condemned China’s actions, describing them as indicative of an aggressor’s nature and asserting that they pose the greatest threat to regional peace. This rhetoric reflects the deep-seated tensions between the two governments.

Its coastguard said it “immediately deployed large vessels to pre-position responses in relevant areas” and “sent additional support units”.

Taiwan’s military said it had established a response centre, deployed “appropriate forces” and “carried out a rapid response exercise”.

In a recent show of force, China’s military conducted large-scale exercises, including live-fire drills around Taiwan last April, which were met with condemnation from Taipei. These surprise maneuvers are part of what Taiwan perceives as a broader strategy of intimidation by Beijing.

China calls drills ‘stern warning’

Shi, the Chinese military spokesperson, said the drills were “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces, and… a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity”.

Beijing’s military released a poster about the drills showing “arrows of justice” — one engulfed in flames — raining down on what appeared to be green worms on a geographical outline of Taiwan.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a core theme of the exercises was a “blockade” of key Taiwanese ports including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south.

China’s military last held large-scale drills involving live firing around Taiwan in April — surprise manoeuvres condemned by Taipei.

China said this month it would take “resolute and forceful measures” to safeguard its territory after Taiwan said the United States had approved a major $11 billion (AU$16.4 billion) arms sale.

Beijing announced fresh sanctions on 20 American defence companies last week, though they appeared to have little or no business in China.

Last month, Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi triggered a backlash from Beijing when she said the use of force against Taiwan could warrant a military response from Tokyo.

China demanded that she retract her statement, summoned Tokyo’s ambassador, and warned its citizens against travelling to Japan.