China’s military has publicly highlighted a new phase of its pressure campaign around Taiwan, with the PLA (Chinese Armed Forces) Eastern Theater Command announcing that H-6 strategic bombers equipped with YJ-12 anti-ship cruise missiles conducted combat-readiness patrols east of the island on December 29, 2025.
According to official PLA statements, the mission was framed as routine training, but its location and payload point to a deliberate demonstration of long-range strike capability aimed at countering external forces operating in the western Pacific.
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A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber takes off, carrying YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles, during long-range strike exercises east of Taiwan, as footage released by China on December 29, 2025, shows.
(Picture source: China MoD)Read More
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China’s
military announced Monday it was mobilizing army, navy, air and rocket
units around Taiwan for “major military drills” aimed at sending a
“serious warning” against any push for Taiwanese independence and
“external” forces interfering with the island.
The
exercises – dubbed “Justice Mission-2025” – would test combat readiness
and “blockade and control of key ports and critical areas” from Monday,
China’s Eastern Theater Command said. Live-fire activities would take
place in five maritime and airspace zones encircling the island on
Tuesday, according to information released by the command.
Story by Simone McCarthy, Wayne Chang, Yong Xiong, Laura Sharman, CNN
Taiwan’s
government condemned the drills, accusing China of “military
intimidation,” while its defense ministry said it was “fully on guard”
and would “take concrete action to defend the values of democracy and
freedom.”
Beijing
has in recent years ramped up its military intimidation of the island –
long seen as a potential flashpoint in a fractious region – including
by simulating blockades. Analysts say that based on the military
announcements, the latest drills may be more explicitly aimed at
practicing how to deny foreign military access to the area.
A
Chinese ship is seen Monday in waters near Pingtan Island, in eastern
China's Fujian province, to the east of Taiwan. - Adek Berry/AFP/Getty
Images
The
drills announced Monday would focus on training on precision strikes,
combat readiness, and “systemic” blockade and control and “deterrence
outside the island chain,” according to Shi Yi, spokesperson for the
Eastern Theater Command, in an apparent reference to a strategic line
considered key in any potential regional military conflict.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has begun work on unconventional warheads intended for integration onto its ballistic missile arsenal, according to information published by Iran International on December 29, 2025, citing informed military sources.
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Chinese military media this week aired footage of a People’s Liberation Army Navy Type-055 destroyer conducting what was described as an operational live-fire launch of the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile in the Western Pacific. Unlike prior hypersonic demonstrations framed as experimental or developmental, the broadcast portrayed the launch as a standard fleet activity, underscoring growing confidence that the weapon is ready for deployment aboard China’s most capable surface combatants.
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Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and China’s Eastern Theater Command said December 29 that the People’s Liberation Army has launched a major snap exercise codenamed Justice Mission 2025, with forces already operating in a live-fire phase.
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North Korea carried out a long-range strategic cruise missile launch drill on December 28 using what is assessed to be an upgraded variant of the Hwasal-1 long-range strategic cruise missile, according to information released by the Korean Central News Agency. Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the exercise.
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On 24 December 2025, documentation published by the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS) indicated that the Kolomna-based Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering (KBM) has received a patent for an active protection system (APS) method capable of engaging not only missiles and projectiles but also attack drones.
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The British and German governments confirmed on December 28, 2025, that both nations have agreed to a £52 million joint contract to procure and evaluate the RCH 155 wheeled 155mm artillery system, marking a notable milestone in bilateral defense cooperation.
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27
China has quietly advanced its next-generation combat aviation efforts, according to a U.S. Department of War report published in December 2025, which confirms that two separate sixth-generation fighter aircraft prototypes completed their first flight tests late last year.
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Belarus has received an additional shipment of Russian-made Su-30SM2 multirole fighters, continuing a steady buildup of combat aviation closely tied to Moscow, according to state media reporting on December 26, 2025. Belarusian officials said the aircraft will undergo a brief technical familiarization before being placed on active air-defense alert, underscoring the country’s role as Russia’s closest military partner in Europe under long-standing joint defense arrangements.
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According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, on December 26, 2025, Tokyo unveiled its FY2026 defense plan as the next major step in the Defense Buildup Program, with defense-related expenditures rising to roughly JPY 8.81 trillion ($56 billion), or about JPY 9.04 trillion when related items are included, as Japan accelerates toward the political benchmark of spending near 2% of GDP. This is not a routine year-on-year increase.
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