Taipei: Taiwan remains on high alert even as China begins withdrawing from large-scale military exercises. Taiwan maintained its highest alert level on Wednesday after China conducted extensive military exercises around the island the previous day, with Taiwan's coast guard chief stating its maritime emergency response center remained operational.
According to Thai News Agency, China's military exercises, codenamed "Justice Mission 2025," involved firing dozens of missiles toward Taiwan and deploying numerous warships and fighter jets near the area. This show of military strength has raised concerns among Taiwan's Western allies, including the European Commission and the United Kingdom. The Taipei government condemned the exercises as a threat to regional security and a clear provocation.
Kwan Pi-ling, chair of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, revealed via Facebook late Tuesday that the maritime situation has begun to ease, with ships gradually withdrawing. However, because China has not yet officially announced the end of its military exercises, Taiwan's emergency response center remains operational.
This aligns with information from the coast guard, who stated that all 11 Chinese coast guard vessels have left nearby waters. Security officials confirmed that emergency response units, both military and coast guard, remain on high alert. Taiwan's Ministry of Defense reported that in the past 24 hours, 77 Chinese military aircraft and 25 warships, including coast guard vessels, were seen operating around the island. Of these, 35 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which separates China and Taiwan.
This Chinese military exercise is considered the most extensive ever, resulting in Taiwan canceling dozens of domestic flights and deploying fighter jets and warships for observation, as well as conducting immediate military response drills in various areas.
China's Xinhua news agency published an article summarizing key lessons from the military exercises, which took place just 11 days after the United States announced the approval of a record-breaking $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan. Citing Zhang Shi, a professor at the People's Liberation Army's National Defense University, the article stated that the encirclement simulation demonstrated the Chinese military's ability to suppress and contain separatist forces while blocking external interference-a strategy known as "internal containment and external blockade."