China: military exercises begin around Taiwan

Rome, 29 Dec. (LaPresse) – The Chinese army announced today the mobilisation of army, navy, air force and missile units around Taiwan for military exercises aimed at testing what it called combat readiness and sending a ‘serious warning’ against any attempt at Taiwanese independence. The Taiwanese government condemned the exercises, accusing China of ‘military intimidation.’ China has significantly stepped up its encirclement exercises around Taiwan since 2022, following the visit to Taipei by then-US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which represented a significant show of support for Taiwan and angered the leadership in Beijing. The latest exercises, dubbed ‘Just Mission 2025,’ are divided into five blocks around the island, including the Taiwan Strait, north, southwest, southeast and east of Taiwan.