China concludes ‘Justice Mission’ drills after condemning US over $11.1b arms sale to Taiwan News
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
China concludes ‘Justice Mission’ drills after condemning US over $11.1b arms sale to Taiwan

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday condemned the pending $11.1 billion US arms sale to Taiwan, characterizing the deal as a violation of the “One China” principle and a dangerous signal to “separatist forces.” The statement was made on the closing day of the operation “Justice Mission 2025,” a large-scale military exercise conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), simulating a blockade of Taiwan’s ports and key transit points.

The sale consists of 82 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launchers and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), featuring extended-range variants capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometers away. Additionally, the deal supplies a substantial number of “loitering munitions” –referred to as suicide drones– designed to repel amphibious assaults.

In response to the transaction, the PLA surrounded the island on Monday evening. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported detecting 130 PLA aircraft, 14 PLAN warships, and 8 official ships operating around Taiwan. Ninety of the aircraft sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering the island’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zones (ADIZ).

As a result of the incursions, the Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces deployed Combat Air Patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems to monitor the situation.

Due to the escalation of both Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the military operation performed by the People’s Republic of China, the Taiwanese government shared posts on X regarding the military response, urging citizens to remain calm over the Chinese blockade. President William Lai (Lai Ching-te) emphasized that while Taiwan’s forces remain on high alert, they will adhere to a principle of “not escalating conflict” while ensuring national security.

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