For the second day in a row.. China is conducting military maneuvers around Taiwan

Today, China began military exercises for the second day in a row, simulating a blockade of Taiwan ports, with the aim of sending a “severe warning” to the island, whose president said he was acting responsibly “not to escalate tensions or provoke disputes.”“.

For its part, the Ministry of Defense in autonomous Taiwan reported that it had spotted 130 Chinese military aircraft near the island within 24 hours, 14 Chinese naval ships and eight government ships..

This is the highest number of Chinese aircraft spotted in one day since October 15, 2024.

A statement from the Eastern Region Command of the People’s Liberation Army showed a map of five large areas surrounding the island where “live firing activities are supposed to be held” from eight in the morning until six in the afternoon (from 00:00 to 10:00 GMT today) within the framework of these exercises, which were called “Mission Justice 2025”.“.

Command spokesman Colonel Shi Yi confirmed today that Chinese forces are focusing on “air and sea combat readiness patrols (…), siege of ports and key areas, and multidimensional deterrence.”“.

Xi Yi said in the statement that the drills, which are a “stern warning against the separatist forces demanding ‘Taiwan independence’, are a legitimate and necessary measure to protect China’s sovereignty and national unity.”“.

For its part, Taiwan stated that some of the areas designated by China for these maneuvers were less than 12 nautical miles (about 20 kilometers) from its coast..

The Civil Aviation Administration in Taiwan indicated that Beijing declared it a “temporary danger zone” for ten hours on Tuesday, “and this is expected to lead to the disruption of air traffic in the region.”“.

On the other hand, the Taiwanese army said yesterday that it deployed “appropriate forces” in response to China’s announcement and established a “response center,” noting that its armed forces “carried out a rapid response exercise.”“.

The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said on Monday that it had spotted 89 Chinese military aircraft, 28 warships and coast guard boats near the island..

“Taiwan expresses its strong condemnation in the face of the Chinese authorities’ disregard for international standards and their use of military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries,” Karen Kuo, spokeswoman for the Taiwanese presidential office, said in a statement.“.

But Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te pledged Tuesday in a Facebook post not to “provoke” Beijing or “escalate tensions” with it..

For his part, US President Donald Trump said today that he is not concerned about the military maneuvers carried out by China with live ammunition around Taiwan, ruling out the possibility of his counterpart Xi Jinping issuing orders to invade the island..

China considers Taiwan part of its territory, and has not ruled out annexing it by force if necessary.

This show of force comes after weeks of tensions between China and Japan, which began with statements indicating the possibility of Tokyo supporting Taiwan in the event of an armed conflict in the future..

This military maneuver also comes after a new American arms sale to Taipei in mid-December, the second since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, with a total value of $11.1 billion..

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed that Beijing would “strongly address” US arms sales to Taiwan..

“In response to the continued provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and US arms sales to Taiwan, we must, of course, firmly oppose them and resolutely address them,” he said in a speech in Beijing.“.

Wang, who was speaking at an annual international relations symposium in Beijing, added that any attempt to obstruct China’s unification with Taiwan “will inevitably end in failure.”“.