PH: China’s Taiwan actions threaten regional peace, stability

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) has expressed deep concern over China’s military and coast guard actions around Taiwan, which the agency said “undermine regional peace and stability” and “create cracks in an already fragile geopolitical environment.”

On December 29, the Chinese military launched its largest-ever war games around Taiwan, conducting live-fire drills simulating a blockade of the island’s key ports.

Code-named “Justice Mission 2025,” Beijing said the exercises were a stern warning against Taiwan’s “separatist forces and external interference,” according to reports.

READ: Taiwan coastguard: Chinese ships ‘withdrawing’ from waters near island

“This heightened scale of coercion has implications that extend beyond cross-Strait relations and into the broader Indo-Pacific community,” DND chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr said. 

“Basic principles of self-restraint must be observed and the rule of international law must not be distorted. The Philippines underscores the importance of upholding international law and regional norms, including the principles of peaceful management of disputes,” he added. “We reaffirm our support for a free, open, stable, and rules-based Indo Pacific, where differences are resolved through peaceful means without deception, coercion, or intimidation.”

According to reports early Wednesday, Chinese warships and coast guard vessels were already withdrawing from waters around Taiwan, with the island’s coast guard indicating that Beijing’s military drills appear to be over.

A few ships, however, remain outside the 24-nautical-mile line. /mcm