Taiwan president warns China’s military drills threaten stability
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te warned on Wednesday that Chinese military exercises around Taiwan were part of a broader framework and posed a threat to regional stability.
“Recently, from areas around Japan to the South China Sea, and now through incursions targeting Taiwan, China’s authoritarian expansion and escalation of coercion have brought significant uncertainty and risk to regional stability, while also affecting shipping, trade and world peace,” Lai said at a general officer promotion and conferral ceremony.
Lai said that in recent days, China has conducted military exercises in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan. Taiwan’s armed forces responded quickly, demonstrating their quick response, flexible tactics and ability to counter the blockade, he added.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched surprise military exercises, dubbed “Mission Justice-2025”, around Taiwan on Monday. Despite international criticism, the exercises continued Tuesday, with some of the 27 test rockets fired landing in Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile (44-kilometer) contiguous zone.
The PLA has not yet announced an end date for the exercises. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday morning that it tracked 77 PLA aircraft sorties and 17 PLA ships near Taiwan on Tuesday.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other like-minded partners for issuing statements of grave concern over China’s recent military exercises, which have unilaterally increased tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
In Taiwan, Karsten Tietz, director general of the German Institute in Taipei, said on social media on Wednesday that Chinese military exercises are increasing tensions and undermining stability across the Taiwan Strait.
“Any change to the status quo must only take place peacefully and by mutual agreement. The German federal government calls for restraint and dialogue,” Tietz said.
China cut off all official communications with Taiwan in June 2016, a month after former President Tsai Ing-wen of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party took office. Since taking office in 2024, President Lai has demonstrated his desire to expand dialogue with China despite persistent tensions between the two sides of the strait.
Democratic Taiwan, home to 23.4 million people, has maintained its autonomy since 1949. China considers the island part of its territory and has repeatedly threatened to annex it.
