PLA Suddenly Conducts Live-Fire Drills in Taiwan Strait! Two-Day Partial Sea Blockade – What’s Next for the Chinese Military?

Chinese authorities announced that live-fire drills would be conducted in parts of the Taiwan Strait on July 23 (Thursday) and 24 (Friday). China's state media CCTV reported on the 23rd that the Zhangzhou Maritime Safety Administration had issued a navigation warning for the Taiwan Strait, stating that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would conduct live-fire drills from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on both days, prohibiting entry into the exercise zones. According to maritime charts, these two areas are located near Dongshan Island, Fujian Province.

According to the China Maritime Safety Administration’s website, the Zhangzhou Maritime Safety Administration issued a navigation warning, stating that live-fire drills would be conducted in parts of the Taiwan Strait from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the aforementioned two days, with vessels prohibited from entering the area. The 'Min航警126/26' notice specifies that the military exercise will take place in the 'Taiwan Strait, East China Sea'.

On December 29, 2025, the PLA unexpectedly announced a new round of military drills encircling Taiwan,预告ing live-fire exercises in five sea and airspace zones around the island the following day. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense pointed out at the time that the five designated exercise zones all included Taiwan’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters and airspace, marking the closest approach since China began its surrounding drills in 2022.

On the 22nd, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense released the latest PLA movements in the Taiwan Strait, detecting 21 PLA aircraft, 6 Chinese naval vessels, and 2 government ships operating near the strait from the 22nd to the early morning of the 23rd. The military emphasized that Taiwan’s forces are closely monitoring and responding using mission aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems.