On Monday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command organized joint exercises around Taiwan Island. The drills, code-named "Justice Mission 2025," spanned five designated zones, forming a coordinated operational posture around the island.

Chinese military analysts say the exercises are highly targeted, serving as a stern warning against escalating "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and recent U.S. arms sales to China's Taiwan region. 

Experts say the drills also demonstrate the PLA's capability and resolve to block external interference and safeguard national sovereignty, while underscoring the Chinese mainland's determination to advance national reunification.

Drills triggered by U.S. arms sales and separatist activities

On December 18, the United States announced arms sales to China's Taiwan region worth up to $11.1 billion, the largest such package on record. Military expert Fu Zhengnan said the latest arms sale is particularly serious, not only for its unprecedented scale but also for its nature. 

"In the past, U.S. arms sales to the Taiwan region mainly focused mainly on defensive weapons," Fu said. "This time, the package is dominated by offensive weapons, which seriously violates the spirit of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique." The August 17 Communique is one of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, in which Washington stated that it does not seek a long-term policy of arms sales to the Taiwan region and pledged to reduce such sales gradually.

Fu also noted that the deal includes a Taiwan tactical network and a situational awareness application kit, which would integrate Taiwan's combat system more deeply into the U.S. military's. This, he warned, effectively turns Taiwan's military into a forward extension of U.S. operational systems and significantly increases the risk of direct confrontation between China and the U.S.

"Despite China's repeated warnings, the U.S. and the Taiwan authorities have continued provocative collusion," Fu said, adding that the PLA's response is "a reasonable and lawful action forced by the situation."

Analysts also pointed to the Lai Ching-te authorities' frequent "Taiwan independence"-provocative rhetoric since taking office as another key reason for the drills.

An article published Sunday by the PLA Daily said that emboldened by U.S. support, authorities of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have intensified efforts to pursue secession by relying on external forces. These actions include promoting a so-called "new two-state theory," denying the 1992 Consensus, labeling the Chinese mainland an "external hostile force," and proposing to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2030.

Military experts say that from both international and domestic legal perspectives, Taiwan's status as an inalienable part of China is beyond dispute, and that the PLA's exercises targeting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces are entirely legitimate.

Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times, a fact firmly established in both history and international law. The Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation confirmed China's recovery of Taiwan after World War II, while UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 recognized the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China at the United Nations.

Exercises show clear direction and precision

Monday's drills are conducted across five zones: the Taiwan Strait, waters north of Taiwan, southwest of Taiwan, southeast of Taiwan, and east of the island. Zhang Chi, a professor at the National Defense University, said the exercises feature tighter containment and a clearer encirclement posture.

He said that, compared with previous drills, the designated zones are closer to Taiwan, with PLA naval and air forces rapidly approaching the island from multiple directions. Together, the five zones form a three-sided encirclement, sending a clear signal that reliance on external forces to pursue "secession" leads to a dead end, while national reunification remains the only viable path.

Zhang added that this deployment is highly targeted. The two northern zones are near key ports, effectively signaling their blockade, while the two southern zones target core areas associated with "Taiwan independence" forces and cut across major maritime routes near ports and military bases. The zone east of the island focuses on the main channel used by external forces to support the DPP authorities, demonstrating the PLA's capability to block foreign intervention.

Meng Xiangqing, another professor at the National Defense University, said the exercise's code name, "Justice Mission 2025," conveys a clear political and military message.

"'Justice' underscores the legitimacy, reasonableness, and lawfulness of the PLA's actions under both domestic and international law," Meng said. "'Mission' highlights the sacred duty to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatism, and counter external interference."

National reunification is unstoppable

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Monday that the PLA's military drills aim to curb collusion between "Taiwan independence" forces and external forces that endangers peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We will never tolerate or condone any form of 'Taiwan independence' separatist activity and will resolutely strike against it," Chen said.

At the same time, he emphasized that the drills are not directed at ordinary people in Taiwan. He urged Taiwan compatriots to recognize the serious dangers posed by the Lai authorities' separatist path, oppose "Taiwan independence" and external interference, and work with the Chinese mainland to advance national reunification.

Xu Xiaoquan, a researcher at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the Chinese mainland currently holds overwhelming advantages over the Taiwan region in political, military, economic, and international influence. He said China has both the firm will and the strong capability to defeat all "Taiwan independence" schemes and external interference and to advance national reunification.

He said that the U.S. strategy of "using Taiwan to contain China," cannot change this trajectory, while the DPP authorities' heavy spending on weapons will inevitably crowd out resources needed for economic development and public well-being, ultimately running counter to public opinion on the island.