Overview
- Taiwan’s coast guard said PLA warships and coastguard vessels were moving away, though some remained beyond the 24‑nautical‑mile line and authorities kept maximum alert.
- Taiwan reported 77 PLA aircraft and 25 vessels in the latest 24 hours, after earlier peaks of roughly 130 aircraft and about two dozen ships during the drills.
- Journalists on Pingtan observed salvoes of rockets during the live-fire phase, while Taiwan condemned the maneuvers as military intimidation and deployed appropriate forces.
- China’s Eastern Theater Command said the exercise was completed successfully and Xi Jinping declared national reunification unstoppable in his New Year message.
- The drills simulated a blockade of key ports and interdiction of external resupply using destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, drones and long‑range rockets, drawing criticism from Japan as Beijing rebuked Tokyo and Australia.