Tensions are reaching a critical point in the Taiwan Strait as China launches “Justice Mission 2025,” one of its largest military exercises to date. The drills include sea-air blockades, live-fire operations, and simulated encirclement of Taiwan — moves analysts warn mirror real-world invasion scenarios. Taiwan has condemned the actions as “irrational provocations,” while placing its forces on high alert. The situation escalates further as Russia publicly backs China’s position against Taiwan independence, raising fears of a wider confrontation involving the United States and its allies — especially after Washington approved an $11-billion arms deal with Taipei. With global supply chains and semiconductor production at stake, the world is watching closely as tensions hit their highest level in years.
00:00China has launched one of its largest and most complex military drills yet around Taiwan.
00:24The operation is called Justice Mission 2025, and it has immediately raised fears that these drills could be more than simple training, and could even be a dress rehearsal for a future conflict.
00:38Let's break down what's happening, why it matters, and what the risks are.
00:44China's People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command began the exercises on December 29, 2025.
00:57They cover multiple regions around Taiwan — north, southwest, southeast, and east, including the Taiwan Strait.
01:06This is not a small-scale drill. It involves the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force, with live fire exercises beginning at 8 a.m. local time on December 30.
01:19Chinese officials are calling the drills a stern warning to what they describe as Taiwan independence forces and to external interference.
01:30That message is clearly aimed at the United States after Washington approved an $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan — the largest ever.
01:40Operations include sea air patrols, mock blackades of key ports like Keilung and Kaohsiung,
01:47and coordinated naval air exercises that simulate encircling the island.
01:52Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has condemned the drills as irrational provocations that threaten peace in the region.
02:08Taiwan's military has gone on high alert, launching rapid response drills, deploying its navy and air force, and activating coastal missile systems.
02:18This marks the largest-scale Chinese exercise since previous operations like joint sword and the first major drill under the new U.S. administration.
02:37These drills closely resemble a real-world invasion scenario.
02:41China is practicing blockading ports, seizing key areas, and isolating Taiwan militarily and economically.
02:50And that's why fears are now at their highest point in years.
02:54U.S. military assessments say China aims to be ready to win a war over Taiwan by 2027.
03:02Analysts believe a full-scale invasion is still unlikely in the near term.
03:08The risks are massive — economic collapse, global sanctions, and devastating losses.
03:15But the scale and timing of these drills send a clear message.
03:19China wants the world to know it is prepared to escalate — if it chooses to.
03:25Just before the drills began, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly reaffirmed Moscow's support for China.
03:42He stated that Russia opposes Taiwan independence in any form and backs Beijing in defending its territorial claims.
03:50This highlights a growing Russell-Chinese strategic alignment, one that could complicate any Western response.
03:58So, the big question — could this spark World War III?
04:03If China were ever to pivot from drills to an invasion, the consequences would be enormous.
04:20The U.S. is legally committed to help Taiwan defend itself, though military intervention is not guaranteed.
04:28U.S. responses could include sanctions, weapons shipments, intelligence support, or even enforcing no-fly or naval zones.
04:37If fighting escalated and U.S. allies joined in, that could potentially put China and Russia on one side and Western powers on the other.
04:47And because Taiwan produces the majority of the world's advanced semiconductors, a conflict fair would shake the entire global economy.
04:56For now, these drills are military exercises, not war.
05:01But they show how quickly training can blur into escalation and how fragile peace in the Taiwan Strait has become.
05:08As China practices surrounding Taiwan, and Taiwan prepares to respond, the world watches, hoping this remains a rehearsal and never becomes reality.
05:21Subscribe to One India and never miss an update.
Be the first to comment