China launches military drills around Taiwan amid tensions with Japan

China's military moved army, naval, air force and rocket force units around Taiwan on Monday (Dec 29) for ⁠its "Justice Mission 2025" drills, aimed at testing combat readiness and delivering a "stern warning" against moves toward Taiwanese independence, Reuters reported. 

The Eastern Theatre Command announced the drills will involve live-fire exercises on Tuesday, in a statement containing a graphic demarcating five zones surrounding the island that will be under sea and air space ⁠restrictions for 10 hours from 8.30am.

This marks China's sixth major round of war games since 2022 after then-US House Speaker ⁠Nancy Pelosi visited the self-governed island, and follow a rise in Chinese rhetoric over Beijing's ‍territorial claims after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, according to Reuters.