China Launches Massive Live-Fire Drills to Rehearse Taiwan Blockade

China has launched its most extensive military exercises to date, codenamed "Justice Mission 2025," involving live-fire rocket launches and a simulated blockade of Taiwan.

The drills serve as a direct response to a record $11.1 billion U.S. arms package to the island and are specifically designed to signal that Beijing can thwart any outside intervention from the U.S. or its allies.

The exercises, which represent the sixth major round of war games since 2022, are the largest in terms of geographic area and have brought Chinese forces closer to Taiwan’s coast than ever before.

The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command conducted 10 hours of intensive exercises, firing 27 rockets into waters north and south of Taiwan.

Operations focused on sealing off Taiwan’s critical maritime gateways, specifically the deep-water Port of Keelung and the major southern hub of Kaohsiung.

Beijing debuted the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, a vessel capable of simultaneously launching helicopters, landing craft, and armored vehicles, signaling a high readiness for a cross-strait invasion.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry tracked 71 Chinese aircraft and 24 naval/coast guard vessels operating around the island on Tuesday alone.

While international flights remained operational, domestic routes to offshore islands (Kinmen and Matsu) were blocked, stranded approximately 6,000 passengers.

President Donald Trump downplayed the severity of the drills, citing his relationship with Xi Jinping and noting that such exercises have been a 20-year norm. However, a recent Pentagon report warns that China is aiming for the capability to take the island by "brute force" by 2027.

President Lai Ching-te stated that while frontline troops are primed for defense, Taipei is not seeking escalation. Officials noted that China appears to be practicing strikes against U.S.-made HIMARS systems.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a chilling warning, stating that any external forces attempting to intervene would "smash their heads bloody against the iron walls" of the PLA.