China launches largest military drills off Taiwan in 8 months with live-fire exercises caught on camera
China fired rockets into waters near Taiwan during large-scale live-fire drills Tuesday, staging its biggest military encirclement of the island in eight months while warning "separatist" forces and outside powers.
A video released by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command showed forces firing rockets into waters north of Taiwan and bomber aircraft taking off at night as part of the encirclement.
The footage was released on the second day of the large-scale exercise "Justice Mission 2025."
China launched the exercise Monday, surrounding Taiwan with warships, aircraft and live-fire drills as tensions rose following a record U.S. arms sale to Taipei.
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"Justice Mission 2025" includes coordinated deployments of ground forces, naval vessels, fighter jets, drones and artillery across seven maritime zones encircling Taiwan.
Tuesday’s drills included long-range live-fire exercises in waters north of Taiwan, PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Li Xi said, according to state-run Xinhua News. Li said the drills achieved their intended results.
Other drills included assaults on maritime targets and anti-air and anti-submarine operations. Destroyers, frigates, fighter jets and bombers also carried out simulated strikes on maritime targets.
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Rockets fired by Chinese forces landed inside Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile line, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said.
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said Tuesday that Beijing "has continued to escalate military tension in the region, which is not the behavior of a responsible world power," according to Focus Taiwan. He added that "Taiwan will not provoke a confrontation, nor seek conflict with China."
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on X that 130 PLA aircraft, 14 naval vessels and eight official ships were operating around the island as of 6 a.m. local time.
"Ninety of the 130 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zone," the statement said. "We monitored the situation and responded."
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The PLA said on X that a Chinese military drone captured aerial footage of Taipei 101, which Taiwan’s Defense Ministry described as a typical example of psychological warfare. "So close, so beautiful, go to Taipei at any time," the PLA said in the post.
President Donald Trump said Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping did not inform him of the drills, adding that the exercises did not concern him.
As the drills unfolded, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels were operating near the island, with some engaging in close stand-offs near Taiwan’s contiguous zone, about 24 nautical miles from shore.
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"Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait would not only constitute military pressure on us, but could also pose broader risks to the international community and neighboring countries," said Hsieh Jih-sheng, Taiwan’s deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence.
Taiwan placed its military on high alert and said it was prepared to conduct rapid-response exercises if the drills escalated. The ministry released video highlighting its own capabilities, including U.S.-made HIMARS systems, while the coast guard deployed large patrol ships to monitor Chinese vessels near its waters.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects that claim, maintaining that only its people can decide the island’s future.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.