How are China’s new war games around Taiwan different from earlier drills?

China has conducted a two-day military exercise, Justice Mission 2025, around Taiwan, marking the sixth large-scale drill since 2022. Unlike previous exercises, this year’s war games cover a larger area and include simulations of a full blockade of Taiwan’s major ports, signalling a more extensive and aggressive operational approach.

The drills included 10 hours of live-fire exercises, with Chinese forces practicing maneuvers to encircle Taiwan from multiple directions. The exercises took place in waters and airspace to the north, southwest, southeast, and east of Taiwan’s main island, reflecting an unprecedented scale and coordination across different military branches.

Taiwan’s military monitored the drills closely, with fighter jets such as the Mirage 2000 scrambled to respond to Chinese aircraft activity. Taiwanese authorities emphasized that the exercises were provocative and heightened tensions in the region, which remains sensitive amid ongoing political and military rivalry across the Taiwan Strait.

Compared with earlier drills, Justice Mission 2025 is more ambitious in scope and explicitly simulates scenarios that could disrupt trade and supply lines, including port blockades. Analysts say it demonstrates China’s growing military capabilities and readiness to conduct coordinated operations across both air and sea domains around Taiwan.