PLA "Justice Mission-2025": Largest Taiwan Blockade Drill Since 2022
What happened
On December 29–30, 2025, the PLA conducted "Justice Mission-2025," the largest military exercise around Taiwan since August 2022, involving 130 aircraft sorties and a rehearsal of a full maritime blockade. Eleven PLAN vessels entered Taiwan's contiguous zone — the first time Chinese forces did so in significant numbers — and 27 rockets were fired, 10 landing within Taiwan's 24-nautical-mile zone.
How it developed
The exercises followed a US $11bn arms sale to Taiwan announced earlier in December 2025. They are widely interpreted as a rehearsal for a blockade scenario and a calibrated escalation below the threshold of direct attack, designed to normalise PLA presence near Taiwan's territorial waters.
US announces $11bn arms sale to Taiwan (December 2025)
PLA declares "Justice Mission-2025" exercise areas around Taiwan (December 29)
130 aircraft sorties, 90 crossing the Taiwan Strait centerline (December 29–30)
11 PLAN vessels and 8 China Coast Guard ships enter Taiwan's contiguous zone — a first (December 30)
27 rockets fired; 10 land within Taiwan's 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone (December 30)
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense activates full combat readiness protocols
- Justice Mission-2025 was the largest PLA exercise around Taiwan since August 2022
- Chinese forces entered Taiwan's contiguous zone in significant numbers for the first time
- The exercise rehearsed a full maritime blockade scenario
Unstated assumptions
- •The exercises serve as deterrence and domestic messaging rather than immediate pre-invasion rehearsal
- •US arms sales to Taiwan will continue despite Chinese protests
Whose voice is missing
- •Taiwan civilian population sentiment on cross-strait risk is rarely foregrounded in international coverage
- •The economic interdependence argument (China-Taiwan trade) is mostly absent from security-framed reporting
By outlet
"共軍「正義使命-2025」演習 國防部：全程掌握嚴密應處"
- Framing
- Taiwan government readiness and measured response
- Emphasis
- Military preparedness and exercise monitoring
- Downplays / omits
- Economic impact on Taiwan business confidence
"China launches largest drills around Taiwan since 2022"
- Framing
- Escalation and international alarm
- Emphasis
- Scale and proximity of the exercises
- Downplays / omits
- Taiwanese civilian perspectives
"China's Justice Mission-2025: what happened and what it means"
- Framing
- Military analysis and strategic implications
- Emphasis
- Blockade rehearsal and contiguous zone violations
- Downplays / omits
- Chinese domestic political drivers
"China says Taiwan drills send a "necessary warning""
- Framing
- Chinese government rationale presented neutrally
- Emphasis
- Sovereignty framing of the exercises
- Downplays / omits
- Taiwanese military response details