Lt. Cmdr. Elliot Rothrock of Joint Detachment Sheridan stated that "defense planners are no longer talking about hypothetical scenarios. We are working from timelines that could require mobilizing 50,000 reserve sailors in 30 days," regarding American planning for a war with China over Taiwan, according to an X post by @__CJohnston__ published over the past hour during the reporting window ending 4:16 PM UTC on December 30, 2025. This disclosure occurs on Day 2 of China's People's Liberation Army "Justice Mission 2025" joint exercise around Taiwan, where Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported 27 live-fire rocket impacts in nearby waters, 71 PLA Air Force sorties with 35 crossing the Taiwan Strait median line, 17 PLA Navy vessels, and 15 China Coast Guard vessels by 15:00 local time, per an X post by @TaiwanMonitor citing the ministry’s press conference this morning. China's People's Liberation Army Navy commissioned 21 warships in 2025, outpacing additions by Japan and the United States, including an 85,000-ton Type 003 aircraft carrier and a 13,000-ton Type 055 destroyer, as detailed in an earlier X post by @saber_k086 covering commissions through December 30. In a related statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian accused Japan of challenging China’s sovereignty and the post-World War II order, according to an X post by @TaiwanMonitor over the past hour.
