The end of 2025 came with yet another demonstration of Beijing’s desire to operationalize the encirclement of Taiwan: the “Justice Mission 2025” (正義使命 2025) exercise. There were several notable aspects of Justice Mission, including more and larger designated exercise zones, the deployment of the PLA Navy and China Coast Guard closer to Taiwan, and the publicized deployment of the Type 075 landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessel with Z-8/Z-20 helicopters on Taiwan’s east coast (implying a capability to conduct special forces raids). PLA Air Force sorties were also notably high in number, displaying unprofessional maneuvering and disrupting civil aviation.Read More
