Taiwan Air Force Scrambles Jets On Second Day Of China's Military Drills

Several fighter jets from Taiwan’s Air Force were seen taking off and landing at the island’s northern Hsinchu Air Force Base on Tuesday as China staged a second day of large-scale military drills around the island.

China's People's Liberation Army staged conducted the drills on Tuesday, unleashing a live-fire show of force as part of what it called “Justice Mission 2025” to demonstrate its ability to deter any external armed support for the self-ruled island that it has long insisted is part of its sovereign territory.

The PLA's Eastern Theater Command sent destroyers, frigates, fighters and bombers to the waters to the north and south of the island to test its ability in sea-air coordination and blockading.

Its ground forces carried out long-range, live-fire drills in the waters to the island's north, and achieved what command spokesperson Li Xi called “desired effects.”

The maneuvers increased tension around the Taiwan Strait as 2025 drew to a close, but the impact extended beyond military pressure into everyday life.

Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration was notified that seven temporary “dangerous zones” had been set up around the strait, affecting international and domestic air travelers.

It was not immediately clear whether that involved flight cancellations as opposed to delays.