Overview
- In a New Year address, President Lai Ching-te pledged to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty, strengthen deterrence and bolster societal resilience.
- China’s Eastern Theater Command said its “Mission justice 2025” drills concluded successfully after missile launches and joint air-sea maneuvers that simulated port blockades and maritime strikes, drawing regional and EU concern.
- Taiwan said the touted blockade did not materialize; the coast guard kept 11 ships on patrol as some Chinese vessels lingered outside the 24-nautical-mile line.
- Beijing condemned Lai’s remarks as hostile, and Xi Jinping used his own address to assert that national reunification cannot be stopped.
- The flare-up followed a U.S. approval of $11.1 billion in arms for Taipei, while a proposed $40 billion integrated air-defense effort and the state budget remain stuck in Taiwan’s parliament.