PLA conducts major drill near Taiwan

Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command, said on Monday morning that "Justice Mission 2025" would include air and sea patrols, simulated suppression of hostile forces and blockading of critical ports and zones, and battlefield periphery deterrence, and "is intended to test our forces' joint combat capabilities".

Aircraft and warships were to conduct exercises near the island of Taiwan from multiple directions, while units from different PLA branches would simulate joint strikes, the spokesman noted, adding that these moves would examine the troops' capabilities in rapid, all-dimensional deployment and omnidirectional blockade and control.

Shi stressed that the exercise was a stern warning against "Taiwan independence" separatists and external forces attempting to interfere in the Taiwan question, as well as a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity.

The latest military action came in the wake of the United States' announcement earlier this month of a large-scale arms sale package, totaling $11.1 billion, that was planned for Taiwan. The arms plan covers eight kinds of weapons, including HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, anti-tank missiles, loitering munition drones and parts for other equipment.

The Eastern Theater Command disclosed in one of the video clips released on Monday evening that long-range rocket units from multiple group armies were deployed in the exercise. Footage showed a system operator with one of the units reporting to his commanders that "target information of (a) HIMARS rocket launcher has been received".

In another clip, titled "So close and so beautiful, (we can) get to Taipei anytime", the command released footage taken by its reconnaissance drone of the landmark Taipei 101 building, and other scenes of Taiwan recorded by pilots.