Overview

• China's military exercises, named 'Meerengendonner-2025A,' are focused on precision strikes and blockades in the Taiwan Strait, involving 21 warships, 76 aircraft, and rocket units.
• Taiwan has responded by deploying aircraft, ships, and missile systems, while closely monitoring Chinese movements near its territory.
• The United States and European Union have condemned China's actions, citing risks to regional stability and escalating tensions.
• China's propaganda campaign includes aggressive messaging, such as depicting Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te in dehumanizing imagery, to pressure Taiwan's leadership and population.
• The drills underscore China's ongoing strategy to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan, which operates as a self-governed democracy but is claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.