Overview
- China's Eastern Theater Command launched 'Mission Justice 2025' on December 29 across five zones spanning the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and the Philippine Sea.
- The drills rehearse joint air and sea patrols, a blockade of Taiwan’s key ports, and deterrence beyond the island chain.
- Ground, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force units are participating, with the overall scale and exact composition undisclosed.
- The main live-fire phase is scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, from 08:00 to 18:00 local time, with navigational and airspace warnings in effect for the designated areas.
- China frames the exercise as a response to outside interference and criticizes Taiwan’s ruling party, while Taiwan reports near-daily PLA activity and counted 2 aircraft and 11 ships in the past 24 hours.