China launched large-scale military exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday morning without prior warning.
According to The Guardian, the drills are intended as a “stern warning” to Taiwan’s democratically elected leadership, which Beijing accuses of separatism and warmongering.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported that 19 Chinese naval ships, including the aircraft carrier Shandong, had been spotted around the island by 6 a.m. More than 10 vessels moved into the waters just 44 kilometers off Taiwan’s coast.
In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems.
“A Dangerous Situation of War”
The drills are being carried out by China’s Eastern Theater Command, which said its forces were approaching Taiwan “from multiple directions” and practicing operations such as “sea and air combat patrols, precision strikes, blockade controls, and assaults on maritime and land targets.”
In parallel with the military pressure, Beijing has launched a fierce propaganda campaign. One video released by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) showed animated missile strikes on Taiwan, while another depicted Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as a cartoon parasite dangling over a burning Taipei skyline.
“Taiwan independence means war,” said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. “Those pursuing it are pushing Taiwan’s people into a dangerous situation.”
“We Will Not Back Down”
Taiwan, which functions as a sovereign state with its own government, military, and currency, has rejected China’s claims and aggressive tactics. President Lai, who was elected last year as head of the pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has taken a firmer stance against Beijing in recent months.
In March, Lai’s administration passed new national security legislation labeling China a “hostile foreign force”, and introduced expanded counter-espionage laws targeting Chinese influence operations.
While China frequently conducts military drills near Taiwan—often in response to moves it sees as pro-independence—this round of exercises has taken a more direct and hostile tone, explicitly framing them as punishment.
Propaganda Heats Up
Beyond the military maneuvers, Beijing’s psychological tactics have also intensified. State-run media published posters and cartoons that mock Lai Ching-te and portray him as courting destruction. One image even shows him holding former opposition figure Ko Wen-je—now jailed for corruption—inside a cage, playing into Taiwan’s polarized political climate.
Observers say China is combining military threats with information warfare to divide Taiwan internally while intimidating its leadership and citizens.
The sudden and aggressive nature of the drills has raised alarm not only in Taiwan but also across the Indo-Pacific. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, currently touring Asian allies, reiterated Washington’s commitment to deterring any Chinese aggression toward Taiwan.
“Preventing a Chinese attack on Taiwan is a core U.S. strategic goal,” Hegseth said during his stop in Japan earlier this week.
Military analysts believe China is not yet ready for a full-scale invasion of Taiwan but is making steady progress toward that capability.
