Red Alert in the Strait: China Launches Massive “Justice Mission 2025” War Games to End the Year
TAIPEI — As the world prepares to ring in the New Year, the waters surrounding Taiwan are churning not with festive fireworks, but with the roar of fighter jets and the looming shadow of destroyers.
In a sudden and high-stakes escalation, Beijing has announced the commencement of a massive military operation code-named “Justice Mission 2025” (Misi Keadilan 2025).
The drills, which began today, Monday (Dec 29), involve a total mobilization of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), signaling a dramatic end to a year already fraught with cross-strait tensions.
The “Justice” Operation: What We Know
According to official statements released by Beijing this morning, this is not a routine patrol. It is a full-spectrum combat simulation.
Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, confirmed the scale of the operation in a statement to AFP. “Starting December 29, the PLA Eastern Theater Command has dispatched troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force to conduct joint military exercises,” Shi said.
The inclusion of the Rocket Force—the branch responsible for China’s conventional and nuclear missile arsenal—is particularly significant and raises the threat level of these exercises substantially.
Live-Fire Zones Confirmed: The situation is set to escalate further tomorrow. Beijing has designated five specific zones in the waters and airspace surrounding the island for live-fire exercises scheduled for Tuesday, December 30. Commercial shipping and airlines will likely be forced to reroute, effectively creating a partial blockade simulation.
The Build-Up: A December to Remember
“Justice Mission 2025” does not happen in a vacuum. It is the climax of a month-long campaign of pressure.
Earlier in December, Taiwanese authorities sounded the alarm regarding a creeping “encirclement.” Taipei reported that China had deployed a significant armada of warships in a sprawling “military operation” that stretched hundreds of kilometers—from the Yellow Sea in the north, down to the South China Sea.
At the time, Karen Kuo, spokesperson for Taiwan’s Presidential Office, described the maneuvers as a direct “threat” to the stability of the entire Indo-Pacific region. “The operation is not limited to the Taiwan Strait,” Kuo warned earlier this month. “It extends to the disputed Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku) near Japan and deep into the Western Pacific.”
While Taipei declined to give specific numbers, security sources described the Chinese naval presence in December as “significant.” Today’s launch of “Justice Mission 2025” confirms those fears were well-founded.
Taiwan’s Response: “We Are Watching”
The atmosphere in Taipei is tense. The Presidential Office has urged Beijing to exercise “restraint,” calling the drills a unilateral escalation that destabilizes regional peace.
“The Ministry of National Defense and national security agencies have a full grasp of the situation,” Kuo stated today, attempting to reassure the public. “We believe we can handle this matter appropriately.”
However, the timing—just 48 hours before New Year’s Eve—is seen by analysts as psychological warfare. It is a reminder from Beijing that the holiday season offers no respite from its sovereignty claims.
Beijing’s Stance: “Don’t Overreact”
Despite the aggressive posturing, China maintains its diplomatic narrative of defense.
When pressed by reporters about the massive naval deployments earlier this month, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry deflected, refusing to confirm specific troop numbers but insisting on its right to operate.
“I want to emphasize that China has consistently followed a defensive policy,” said Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. “The Chinese Navy and Coast Guard operate strictly within relevant waters, in accordance with Chinese domestic law and international law.”
Lin further warned “relevant parties”—a diplomatic code for Taiwan and the United States—not to “overreact or engage in baseless propaganda.”
Analysis: Why “Justice” and Why Now?
The choice of the name “Justice Mission 2025” is telling. It frames the aggression as a corrective measure—implying that the current status quo in the Taiwan Strait is “unjust” in Beijing’s eyes.
By launching this drill on December 29, China achieves three strategic goals:
- Normalization of Crisis: Making massive drills seem like a standard end-of-year event.
- Testing Readiness: Evaluating the PLA’s ability to mobilize joint forces (Navy, Air, and Rocket) quickly during a holiday period.
- Sending a Message to 2026: Setting a hardline tone for the incoming year.
As the rockets prepare to fire tomorrow, the world watches nervously. The fireworks in the Taiwan Strait this year are real, and they are dangerous.
Daily Dejavu will continue to monitor the live-fire exercises scheduled for tomorrow.
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