Overview
- The PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed naval, air, rocket and ground units and designated five restricted sea and air zones for live-fire activity on Dec. 30 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.
- Taiwan set up a response center, put forces on high alert and ran rapid-response drills, condemning the exercises as military intimidation that destabilizes the region.
- Taiwan’s defense ministry reported 89 Chinese aircraft by mid‑afternoon Monday, with 67 entering its air defense response area, alongside multiple PLA navy and China Coast Guard vessels.
- Chinese statements and state media highlighted rehearsals to blockade key Taiwanese ports, naming Keelung and Kaohsiung, and stressed deterring outside intervention.
- This is the sixth major PLA exercise targeting Taiwan since 2022 and follows Washington’s approval of about $11.1 billion in arms sales, as frictions with Japan over Taiwan security persist.