• Chinese President Xi Jinping declared Taiwan reunification unstoppable in annual New Year’s Eve address
• Remarks came one day after China completed Justice Mission 2025 military exercise encircling Taiwan
• Two-day drills deployed warships, fighter jets, and missile forces in largest geographic coverage to date

WASHINGTON (TDR) — Chinese President Xi Jinping used his Wednesday New Year’s address to assert that China’s goal of reunifying with Taiwan cannot be stopped, delivering one of his strongest statements yet on the island’s future status. Speaking in his annual televised message, Xi emphasized shared ancestry between people across the Taiwan Strait while characterizing reunification as an inevitable historical development.

Military Drills Complete Day Before Speech

The remarks came one day after China’s People’s Liberation Army announced it had successfully completed Justice Mission 2025, a two-day military exercise that encircled Taiwan with warships, fighter jets, and missile forces. Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, said the drills fully tested the integrated joint operations capabilities of Chinese troops.

“The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable!”

The timing of Xi’s address immediately following the massive military exercises sent an unmistakable signal about Beijing’s determination regarding Taiwan. The drills represented the sixth military exercise held around Taiwan since 2022 and featured the largest geographical coverage area to date according to military analysts.

Record-Breaking Military Exercise

The PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force troops to conduct drills in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast, and east of Taiwan Island. The exercises focused on sea-air combat readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, blockades of key ports and areas, and all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain.

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Taiwan’s Defense Ministry detected 14 PLA warships and 14 Chinese Coast Guard vessels around the island, along with an amphibious assault strike group consisting of four ships in southeastern waters. Authorities counted 89 warplanes in skies around Taiwan, with 67 entering Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.

The China Maritime Safety Administration initially designated five zones for live-fire drills from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on December 30, later increasing to seven zones. Ships and aircraft were warned to stay away from designated areas, some of which crossed into Taiwan’s territorial waters for the first time since 2022 exercises.

Live-Fire Rockets Target Island Waters

On the second day of drills, several live rockets were fired from Pingtan Island using what appeared to be mobile PCH-191 rocket launchers. The Eastern Theater Command released video showing rockets fired into waters both north and south of Taiwan, marking the first time China launched rockets into the Taiwan Strait since 2022.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense stated the rockets landed near Taiwan’s 24 nautical mile line. The ministry reported that in the 24-hour period, 35 military planes crossed the Taiwan Strait median line that traditionally separates the two sides.

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The drills included maritime and airborne search-and-destroy operations, simulated strikes on land and sea targets, and exercises to blockade Taiwan’s main ports including Keelung and Kaohsiung. A report by China Central Television emphasized the blockade simulation capabilities demonstrated during the exercises.

Response to US Arms Package

The military drills came days after the United States approved its largest-ever arms package to Taiwan valued at $11.1 billion. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing must resolutely oppose and forcefully counter actions such as the U.S. arms deal.

When asked whether drills responded to the U.S.-Taiwan arms deal, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson referenced Taiwan’s governing party and described exercises as severe punishment for separatist forces seeking independence through force. Officials characterized the drills as a stern warning against external interference in Taiwan affairs.

President Donald Trump said Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had not told him about the exercises but that they did not worry him, noting China has been conducting naval exercises in that area for 20 years.

Propaganda and Futuristic Warfare Display

The Chinese military released propaganda materials including a poster showing fiery arrows raining down on the island captioned “Arrow of Justice, Control and Denial.” Another AI-generated video titled “Joint Operations to Thwart Taiwan Independence Attempts” showed menacing robot dogs, armed humanoid robots, planes, and ships apparently bearing down on Taiwan.

The Eastern Theater Command released video purportedly showing views of Taipei 101 skyscraper from a drone perspective, demonstrating proximity capabilities. The futuristic technology showcased in propaganda videos had never been publicly displayed by China before according to military analysts.

Taiwan Recovery Day Establishment

Xi also hailed the institution in 2025 of an annual Taiwan Recovery Day, marking the end of imperial Japan’s rule of the island at the end of World War II. The president said China solemnly commemorated the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

These grand national events were majestic and powerful, Xi stated, with the glory of victory shining through pages of history. He said the commemorations inspire all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to remember history, honor fallen heroes, cherish peace, and create a better future while rallying force for great national rejuvenation.

International Concern and Taiwanese Response

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te condemned China’s escalation of military pressure as part of an ongoing cognitive warfare campaign and not something a responsible power should do. The Mainland Affairs Council said exercises disrupted Taiwan’s civil aviation and maritime traffic.

Taiwan’s Transport Ministry reported more than 100,000 passengers on scheduled international flights were affected by the drills, while around 80 domestic flights were cancelled. The island remained on high alert Wednesday, keeping emergency maritime response centers running to monitor Chinese naval maneuvers.

Multiple countries issued statements of concern including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom along with the European Union. Several nations opposed unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion, while Germany and Japan stated Taiwan’s status should be resolved through peaceful negotiation.

Blurring Lines Between Drills and Attack

Analysts say Beijing’s drills increasingly blur the line between routine military training exercises and what could be a prelude to an attack, a strategy intended to give the U.S. and allies minimal warning of an assault. The overall trend shows China pushing boundaries of how close it can position military planes and vessels to Taiwan.

Military experts described the drills as demonstrating capabilities for pressing and containing separatist forces while denying access to external interference—an approach summarized as sealing internally and blocking externally. The exercises showed that energy facilities, major ports, and military bases relied upon by Taiwan independence forces fall within PLA firepower coverage.

Does China’s combination of massive military exercises and Xi’s declarative New Year message signal increased likelihood of action against Taiwan, or do the drills represent continued saber-rattling designed to deter independence movements?

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