China raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday by conducting large-scale combined military exercises with different branches of its armed forces around Taiwan. As a reaction, Taipei activated its air force, navy, and missile defense systems to counter the PLA exercises.
Following a military spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, the People's Liberation Army exercises were carried out near Taiwan Island. Senior Colonel Shi Yi, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency, confirmed that the command had sent army, navy, air, and rocket troops, all of whom were attacking Taiwan from different directions.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has conducted such exercises before. But it is the largest military exercise in the area since U.S. President Donald Trump took office for his second term.
The exercises came after Japan received a visit from newly appointed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday. During the trip, Washington and Tokyo committed to strengthening their alliance's deterrence capacity against China's growing boldness in the region. Hegseth reiterated that America is Japan's ally "against aggressive and coercive actions by the Communist Chinese" and emphasized America's pledge to sustain "a strong, prepared, and credible deterrent in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait," according to Japan's Kyodo news agency.
In response to Hegseth's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun blamed the U.S. for exploiting China as an excuse to provoke ideological disputes, separation, and confrontation. He called on American authorities to shed the "illusion" of employing Taiwan to contain China, uphold the principle of one China, and maintain previous commitments on Taiwan issues.
In contrast, Taiwan's Presidential Office released a statement "strongly condemning" the PLA's military exercises. Its defense ministry affirmed deploying military planes, warships, and coastal missile defense systems in response to the Chinese military provocation.
The Presidential Office also blamed China for pursuing "military provocations and gray-zone tactics" across the Taiwan Strait and wider Indo-Pacific region, suggesting that these acts contribute to regional instability and insecurity.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it had spotted 13 Chinese warships, 71 military aircraft, and four coast guard ships. It also said that a fleet commanded by the aircraft carrier Shandong had been anchored about 400 kilometers south of Taiwan's southern coast in the western Pacific.
In accordance with Senior Colonel Shi, the exercises were mostly focused on performing sea-air combat readiness patrols, achieving operational supremacy, attacking sea and land targets, and imposing blockades in strategic areas. The drills were meant to assess joint operational capacities between various branches of the military.
Shi underscored that such exercises are a serious warning to forces of separatism calling for "Taiwan independence" and an indispensable measure to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In Tuesday's drills, the PLA used advanced military equipment, such as the Type 054A frigate, DF-15 ballistic missiles, YJ-21 hypersonic missiles, and Y-20 transport aircraft. The fact that the YJ-21 missile was part of the exercises, as cited by the state-run Global Times, showed a higher degree of combat readiness.
Military commentator Zhang Junshe said in an interview with the Global Times that the YJ-21's appearance meant that the PLA's exercises were very close to actual combat situations, affirming that the troops were ready for immediate action if necessary.
China insists that Taiwan is part of its territory. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China's State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the exercises are a firm warning to separatists who try to destabilize the Taiwan Strait.
"'Taiwan independence' is a path to war, and seeking it puts the people of Taiwan in a risky position," Zhu warned.
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