TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Large-scale PLA drills around Taiwan are acts of open bullying, retired US Navy Admiral Mark Montgomery said, warning that easing US military support would only embolden Beijing, CNA reported on Saturday.
China’s Eastern Theater Command announced on Monday that it had launched its two-day “Justice Mission-2025” exercises, covering waters and airspace around Taiwan, followed by live-fire drills in at least five zones.
Montgomery, now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the scale and intensity of the drills were responses to a recently announced NT$345.11 billion (US$11 billion) US arms sale to Taiwan and remarks by Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae referencing a Taiwan contingency.
The US approved the arms sale in December, its second since President Donald Trump returned to office, covering eight packages that included M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, TOW missiles, and Javelin missiles. Montgomery said Beijing’s drills were aimed at domestic audiences and foreign governments, signaling strength at home while warning Taiwan and the United States.
He said backing away from arms sales to avoid provoking Beijing would be a mistake, arguing that arms transfers and improved interoperability are the most effective deterrents. Bullies never stop unless they are confronted openly and directly, he added.
A separate report by the Institute for the Study of War said the drills simulated blockades of Taiwan’s major ports and energy supply routes, with 14 Chinese coast guard vessels participating. The report said the exercises likely rehearsed joint operations between the PLA Navy and coast guard to enforce a blockade under the guise of law enforcement.
The report warned that allowing such drills to deter US political or military support for Taiwan would only embolden Beijing. After Japan, the Philippines, the EU, and Australia voiced concern, the US State Department said China’s actions unnecessarily escalated tensions and urged Beijing to cease military pressure on Taiwan.
