Overview
- Washington said the exercises "needlessly raise tensions," urged Beijing to halt military pressure on Taiwan, and called for meaningful dialogue.
- Taiwan’s defense ministry counted 207 PLA aircraft over 48 hours, including 125 crossings of the Taiwan Strait’s informal median line.
- Officials reported 27 live rockets launched from Fujian toward northern and southwestern waters, with some falling inside Taiwan’s claimed contiguous zone.
- China announced the operation had completed its mission on Dec. 31 and restated opposition to what it calls external interference.
- Japan conveyed concerns to Chinese authorities, and President Lai Ching-te condemned expanding ambitions while pressing for faster defense funding and closer coordination with the U.S., Japan and Europe.