House Panel Condemns PLA's 'Justice Mission' as Drills Breach 24-Mile Buffer

WASHINGTON/TAIPEI – Leaders of the U.S. House Select Committee on the CCP have formally condemned Beijing's ongoing "Justice Mission 2025" military exercises as a "deliberate escalation," highlighting acute risks in the Taiwan Strait just 48 hours before the close of the year. The drills, which commenced abruptly on December 29, feature live-fire operations and blockade simulations encroaching on Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone—maneuvers that bring the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) perilously close to the threshold of a kinetic encounter.

The committee’s statement comes as the PLA executes a second day of high-intensity drills involving naval, air, and rocket forces. Unlike previous major exercises, such as "Joint Sword," analysts observe that "Justice Mission 2025" explicitly rehearses a "total blockade" of Taiwan’s critical northern and southern ports, including Keelung and Kaohsiung. However, intelligence confirms the operations remain distinct from an actively enforced blockade; commercial traffic has not been forcibly interdicted, nor has access been denied for the sustained duration required to constitute a de facto siege.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed PLA units have fired multiple rockets into waters near the island, with drill zones hugging the 24-mile line. This operational proximity erodes the margin for error. With alert levels raised and Taiwanese fighters scrambled to monitor the PLA, the risk of accidental collision or exchange of fire is heightened. A single incident resulting in significant hull damage or sinking would mark a definitive shift from coercive posturing to open conflict.

Analysts attribute Beijing’s "punitive response" to two primary triggers: a record-breaking $11.1 billion U.S. arms package announced 11 days ago, and recent remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Tokyo could intervene militarily in a Taiwan contingency.

While Beijing frames the drills as a test of its ability to "seize comprehensive superiority," the U.S. lawmakers' statement underscores the volatility of the immediate environment. As of Tuesday, operations remain confined to designated 10-hour live-fire windows, but the proximity to Taiwan's territorial waters leaves effectively zero room for de-escalation should a miscalculation occur before the New Year.