Overview
- China designated five sea and air zones around Taiwan, with live firing scheduled for Tuesday under temporary restrictions lasting about ten hours from the morning local time.
- Taiwan condemned the operation, established a response center, deployed forces and conducted rapid-response exercises to reinforce readiness.
- PLA statements and state media said the drills would rehearse blockade tactics and focus on key ports including Keelung and Kaohsiung, with warnings for non-participating ships and aircraft to avoid the areas.
- Maps and propaganda materials released by the Eastern Theater Command showed multi-axis approaches and emphasized encirclement, joint assaults and what it called all-dimensional deterrence.
- This marks the sixth major round of PLA war games targeting Taiwan since 2022, following new US weapons approvals and recent tensions with Japan over potential responses to a Taiwan crisis.