Taiwan’s Lai vows to defend sovereignty after China’s ‘Justice Mission 2025’ drills
TAIPEI — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged to “resolutely defend” the island’s sovereignty and accelerate its defense buildup after China fired rockets toward Taiwan and massed warships and aircraft nearby in sweeping “Justice Mission 2025” military drills.
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In a New Year’s address delivered from the presidential office and broadcast live, Lai said the international community is watching to see whether Taiwanese people have the resolve to defend themselves. Citing the exercises — which he said cast Taiwan’s newly added combat capabilities as a “hypothetical adversary” — Lai urged opposition parties to back his plan to boost defense spending by $40 billion, a proposal stalled amid a broader deadlock in the opposition-controlled parliament.
“As president, my stance has always been clear: to resolutely defend national sovereignty and strengthen national defense,” he said. Describing 2026 as a “crucial” year, he added that Taiwan must “make plans for the worst, but hope for the best.”
The Chinese maneuvers, which concluded late Sunday, were China’s largest by area and the closest yet to Taiwan, according to Taipei. Beijing said its military would continue to strengthen combat readiness and, for the first time, said the exercises were meant to deter outside intervention.
Taiwan condemned the drills as a blatant provocation and a threat to regional security. The operations forced the cancellation of dozens of domestic commercial flights, and Taiwan deployed jets and naval vessels to monitor the activity around the island.
Western allies voiced concern. The European Commission and Britain said the show of force risked destabilizing the region. The drills began 11 days after the United States announced a record $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan.
China claims the self-ruled island as its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims. In his own New Year’s address, Chinese President Xi Jinping repeated that what Beijing calls “reunification” cannot be stopped and warned against what it sees as separatist activity.
Lai said Taipei remains willing to engage with Beijing “on an equal and dignified basis” to promote a peaceful environment across the Taiwan Strait. He added that any dialogue requires China to acknowledge the existence of the Republic of China — Taiwan’s formal name — and respect the Taiwanese people’s desire for a democratic and free way of life.
The defense push underscores Lai’s argument that Taiwan must expand and modernize its deterrence as Beijing sharpens military pressure. He framed increased procurement as an urgent necessity exposed by the latest drills and pressed lawmakers to move swiftly despite partisan gridlock.
Beijing’s exercises featured the firing of dozens of rockets toward Taiwan alongside the deployment of a large number of warships and military aircraft, according to Taiwan’s defense authorities. While China declared the drills complete, it signaled that elevated patrols and readiness would continue.
Lai’s remarks set the tone for a year in which Taipei faces a dual challenge: managing a volatile security environment and navigating domestic political divisions over defense spending and cross-strait policy. His message was equal parts deterrence and outreach — bolstering the armed forces while keeping channels open for dialogue under conditions Taipei says safeguard its democracy.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
