An article published by the Italian website Scenari Economici examined the dimensions of the large scale Chinese military manoeuvres around the island of Taiwan, which Beijing has named “Justice Mission 2025”.
The article’s author, Fabio Lugano, said that these manoeuvres, described as the largest of their kind in recent years, demonstrate unprecedented preparations to encircle the island logistically through advanced weaponry and a suffocating blockade of key ports, sending clear messages to Taipei and its allies.
The manoeuvres involved 89 military aircraft and 14 warships, in addition to four vessels deployed west of the Pacific Ocean.
For its part, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence condemned the manoeuvres, describing them as a direct threat to regional stability, and placed its defence systems on high alert, most notably the US made HIMARS missile systems.
Operation details
The author explained that these manoeuvres are the sixth of their kind since 2022, the year in which former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei. However, they carry features that make them more comprehensive and more dangerous than previous exercises.
He noted that the current operation is being conducted across seven zones surrounding the island, a record in terms of coverage and proximity to Taiwan’s coastline. The declared objective is not limited to a display of force, but includes testing the actual capability to paralyse vital ports.
The article quoted Reuters as stating that the targeted areas include the port of Keelung in the north of the island and the industrial zone of Kaohsiung in the south.
China’s Maritime Safety Administration imposed closures over wide areas of sea and airspace, with live fire drills lasting around ten hours. The manoeuvres involved 89 military aircraft and 14 warships, in addition to four vessels deployed west of the Pacific Ocean.
Along the coastal contact line, China deployed 14 coast guard vessels, some of which took up positions on alert within the zone adjacent to the island at a distance of 24 nautical miles.
The escalation immediately affected air traffic, with more than 100,000 passengers impacted by international flight delays, and 80 domestic flights cancelled.
Why now?
The author stressed that the timing of “Justice Mission 2025” is not arbitrary, but represents a carefully calculated response to two developments that angered Beijing.
The first was Washington’s recent approval of an 11 billion dollar arms sale to Taiwan, including advanced systems aimed at turning the island into a high cost military fortress against any invasion attempt.
The second was statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who hinted that any attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo. Beijing regarded this as a direct threat to its territorial unity.
In this context, Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese army, stated that the manoeuvres “represent a serious warning to supporters of Taiwan independence and against external interventions”.
Messages to the inside and the outside
The author explained that footage broadcast by official Chinese media, showing the use of armed robotic dogs, drones, and automated robots, is intended to highlight the qualitative leap in Chinese technological capabilities.
He argued that these scenes reflect a shift in Chinese military doctrine toward the concept of “contactless warfare”, aimed at reducing human losses during the amphibious landing phase, which is the most sensitive and bloody stage in any potential invasion scenario.
He added that images of the manoeuvres, resembling scenes from science fiction films, are designed to impress domestic public opinion while simultaneously instilling fear in Western circles, amid rising operational coordination between Taiwan and the United States.
The blockade scenario
The author pointed out that the most alarming aspect is China’s testing of its ability to isolate Taiwan by closing its ports. He explained that a naval blockade could disrupt energy supplies, particularly liquefied natural gas, and at the same time affect semiconductor exports to global markets.
The article quoted analysts as saying that Beijing is gradually working to blur the dividing line between “military exercises” and “preparations for an actual attack”, thereby shortening the response time for a potential confrontation with the United States and its allies.
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