Drills signaling China-Russia cooperation: academicsStaff writer, with CNAThe military exercises China launched yesterday have many purposes, including cognitive warfare against Taiwan, countering US-Japan military cooperation and the showcasing of coordination with Russia, an academic said yesterday. The drills were in part conducted in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statements on a potential “Taiwan contingency,” as well as Tokyo’s increasingly close military cooperation with the US, Lin said. People walk by a giant screen in Beijing yesterday during a broadcast of news on China’s military drills around Taiwan. Photo: ReutersLast month, Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan would constitute a threat to Japan’s survival and could warrant a military response from Tokyo, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing. The Guardian yesterday quoted analysts as saying that it was the first time the PLA had explicitly said it was practicing deterring international involvement.

Source: Taipei Times December 29, 2025 17:14 UTC