China on Monday began fresh large-scale military drills in the “middle areas” of the Taiwan Strait, signalling another escalation in pressure on Taiwan amid parallel diplomatic frictions with the United States and Japan. The latest drills come days after US President Donald Trump approved an arms package worth USD 11.1 billion for Taiwan. The move has sharpened Beijing’s criticism of the US, which it accuses of encouraging separatist forces in Taiwan. The military drills are also unfolding against the backdrop of strained China-Japan ties over Taiwan. Guo said the Japanese side was continuing to expand targeted military deployments near Taiwan and had even spoken about deploying mid-range missiles.

Source: The Telegraph December 29, 2025 04:21 UTC