China Conducts Major Military Drills Around Taiwan in Warning Against External Interference

China conducted major military exercises around Taiwan on Monday, 29 December 2025, deploying air, sea and rocket troops in a warning against "external interference". The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's statement that Japan's military could get involved if China took action against Taiwan. Taiwan's defence ministry reported detecting 89 Chinese military aircraft and drones, with 67 entering Taiwan's response area. The exercises included sea-air combat readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority and blockades on key ports. This marked China's first large-scale drill publicly mentioning "all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain" as a goal. Taiwan placed its forces on high alert and called the Chinese government "the biggest destroyer of peace." The drills occurred in the Taiwan Strait and areas north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.