Taiwan's Presidential Office urged China on December 29, 2025, around 2:00 a.m. UTC to exercise restraint and halt provocations in response to the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command's "Justice Mission 2025" military drills starting that day around Taiwan, according to a statement reported by TaiwanMonitor on X over the past 59 minutes. Chinese state media released a second exercise poster titled "Arrow of Justice" and an additional explanation during the reporting window from 1:16 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. UTC, describing the drills as a "powerful countermeasure against U.S.-Taiwan collusion," per posts from TaiwanMonitor on X. The posters reference prior exercises and emphasize countering external interference and "Taiwan independence" forces. Global Times, cited by TaiwanMonitor, framed the drills as a direct response to the U.S. announcement on December 17 of an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the largest in history, including 82 HIMARS systems. A military expert quoted in Global Times stated the exercise zones form "shields" blocking key straits like Miyako and Bashi Channel to deter resupply and interference. Taiwan's Presidential Office stated its military and security units have comprehensive prior understanding and are fully prepared to ensure safety, as reported by JaimeOcon1 on X. The office called on China not to misjudge the situation or undermine regional peace. The new posters follow Senior Colonel Shi Yi's announcement earlier on December 29 via ChinaMilBugle on X of joint drills by Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas north, southwest, southeast, and east of Taiwan Island, as detailed in the previous report covering up to 1:16 a.m. UTC. Chinese state media also published a map overlaying "Justice Mission 2025" zones with prior exercises like 2022 Pelosi visit drills and Joint Sword-2024A.
