The People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command released the first published footage of live-fire drills east of Taiwan as part of Justice Mission 2025, while China's Maritime Safety Administration issued two additional warning zones nearly covering the Taiwan Strait, in the 29 minutes ending at 4:15 a.m. UTC on December 29, 2025, according to posts by TaiwanMonitor and Global_Mil_Info on X. The new zones, depicted by black lines on a map shared by Global_Mil_Info, expand restrictions around Taiwan, with Taiwan elevating its readiness posture and placing military units on high alert in response, as stated in the post. This follows the PLA's earlier announcements of combat readiness patrols on December 29 and live-fire zones scheduled for December 30, per a summary by KTristanTang on X. Taiwan's Coast Guard released an image showing Chinese Coast Guard Vessel 1303 in the distance, with no specific location provided, according to a post by JaimeOcon1 citing TaiwanMonitor on X during the reporting window. KTristanTang noted that the Maritime Safety Administration issued notices for a total of seven restricted areas, potentially severing Taiwan's maritime routes to Kinmen and Matsu, using language mirroring prior PLA operations with emphasis on external-line multidimensional deterrence. This builds on Senior Colonel Shi Yi's earlier announcement of joint drills by PLA Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force around Taiwan, as reported in prior coverage.
