China fires rockets on second day of military drills around Taiwan

China stepped up its military drills in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, firing rockets as part of exercises involving multiple military assets. It is the second day of exercises aimed at simulating a blockade of ports and attacks on maritime targets on Taiwan, the democratically governed island that Beijing claims as its own.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) explained in a statement that, "at 9.00 (local time) on December 30, ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted long-range live-fire maneuvers in the waters north of Taiwan Island and achieved the desired effect."

The Taiwanese Defense Ministry detected 130 Chinese military aircraft near the island in a 24-hour period, as well as 14 naval vessels and eight unspecified government ships.

At least 10 rockets exploded in the air

AFP reporters on Pingtan, a Chinese island near Taiwan, watched at least 10 rockets explode in mid-air, leaving trails of white smoke and a loud boom as they streaked across the skies, while several tourists ran to wooden barricades to record the projectiles with their phones.

"Our country is getting stronger and more prosperous, that's why it has the capacity to do this," Chen, a 63-year-old visitor, told AFP, who hopes "the end result" will be "peaceful unification."

"A blatant provocation against regional security and international order"

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te condemned the maneuvers and said China was "deliberately undermining regional stability through military intimidation." "This is a blatant provocation against regional security and international order," he warned on Facebook.

For its part, the island's Defense Ministry released several publications calling for calm and a response that does not increase tension:

"The Communist Party's highly provocative actions not only seriously undermine regional peace and stability, but also pose a major security and interference danger to and from shipping vessels, commercial activities and flight routes. The national military will respond calmly and coolly in accordance with the president's guidance 'Do not escalate conflict, do not provoke disputes' and firmly protect our national security and democratic freedom!"

Chinese response to US arms sales to Taiwan and tension with Japan

The Chinese maneuvers come after the US announced the sale of a new weapons package to Taiwan and statements by the Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, in which she suggested responding militarily in case of aggression against that neighboring island.

This time, Beijing is emphasizing "keeping foreign forces away from Taiwan that could intervene," reckoned Chieh Chung, a military expert at the island's Tamkang University. "China's main message is a warning to the United States and Japan not to try to intervene if the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) uses force against Taiwan," the expert told AFP.

China's chief diplomat, Wang Yi, warned Tuesday in Beijing that his country will respond "forcefully" to Washington's large-scale arms sales to Taipei.

"Continued provocations by Taiwan's pro-independence forces"

"In response to the continued provocations by Taiwan's pro-independence forces and the large-scale sale of U.S. arms to Taiwan, we must, of course, firmly oppose and vigorously counter them," the minister said in a speech.

His spokesman, Lin Jian, called the exercises "a necessary measure to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

U.S. President Donald Trump, on Monday denied being concerned about the Chinese maneuvers and downplayed the possibility of an invasion of Taiwan, saying he does not believe his counterpart, Xi Jinping, "is going to do it."

Live fire

China announced that it mobilized destroyers, frigates, fighters and bombers" to conduct simulated attacks, assaults on maritime targets, as well as anti-aircraft and anti-submarine operations." The PLA specified that the drills in waters north and south of Taiwan "test the capability of sea-land coordination and integrated blockade and control" in key infrastructure such as ports.

This is China's sixth major round of exercises around the island since 2022, when a visit to Taiwan by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi infuriated Beijing.

Chinese authorities this time released a map of five major areas around Taiwan where the drills, due to conclude at 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, are taking place. Taiwan said the drills have affected international shipping and aviation routes.

South Korea calls for "peace and stability"

The Foreign Ministry of neighboring South Korea called "for peace and stability."

Seoul hopes that "cross-strait relations (Taiwan) will develop peacefully through dialogue and cooperation," it said.