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ABP Live Deep Dive: China Starts Large Military Drills Around Taiwan, Simulates Blockade
World

ABP Live Deep Dive: China Starts Large Military Drills Around Taiwan, Simulates Blockade

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan, simulating a full blockade of the island in a sharp escalation of regional tensions. Codenamed “Justice Mission 2025”, the exercise rehearses the sealing of key Taiwanese ports through coordinated naval, air and missile operations, alongside live-fire drills and counter-intervention tactics. The drills, focused on the Taiwan Strait’s northern and south-western sectors, have triggered concern from Washington to Tokyo, as Beijing signals its readiness to cut off Taiwan and deter any external military involvement. What The PLA Is Practising According to the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, the drills involve China’s navy, air force, rocket force and ground units working jointly to test blockade and control capabilities around Taiwan. Combat aircraft, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles are being deployed across central areas of the Taiwan Strait, coordinated with long-range rocket fire. From Tuesday, the exercise includes rehearsals to block major ports such as Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south, effectively simulating the isolation of the island by sea and air. Recently, the Chinese PLA Navy conducted combat-oriented maritime operational support training to enhance the troops’ capabilities in carrying out diversified military missions. pic.twitter.com/cg4FsL1SqB — ChinaNavy (@China_Navy) December 29, 2025 A blockade drill is designed to surround a target area completely, restricting maritime and aerial access. Its core aim is to seize or choke strategic ports and halt imports and exports. Taiwan relies heavily on imports for both energy and food, making such a scenario particularly severe. The exercise also tests precision strikes, joint operations and what the PLA describes as “multi-dimensional deterrence”, including preventing outside military assistance. Why Beijing Is Escalating China considers Taiwan its own territory, a claim rejected by Taipei and contested by countries such as the United States and Japan, which back Taiwan’s security. Tensions have risen further after Washington approved a major arms package for Taiwan. Notably, Beijing has openly stated that these drills are meant to counter “external interference”, a clear reference to the US and Japan. While similar exercises were held in 2024, analysts note that the current drills are larger in scale and far more realistic, resembling preparations for an actual operation rather than routine training. Message To The US & Japan Under President Xi Jinping, the drills are seen as a direct response to two developments. The first is the US approval of its largest-ever arms deal for Taiwan, valued at USD 11.1 billion, which includes HIMARS rocket systems, anti-tank missiles and drones. Beijing has warned that such moves encourage “Taiwan independence”. The second factor is rising friction with Japan, after Japanese leaders suggested that a Taiwan conflict would pose an existential threat to Tokyo, potentially prompting joint intervention with the US. China has dismissed those remarks as provocative, making “blocking external interference” a central focus of its latest show of force.

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10 months ago
ILT20 Playoffs: Desert Vipers dominate league stage, chase elusive title
Sports

ILT20 Playoffs: Desert Vipers dominate league stage, chase elusive title

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders secured the last and final playoff spot in the ILT20 Season 4, joining Dubai Capitals, Desert Vipers, and MI Emirates. Desert Vipers topped the league, with MI Emirates finishing second. The playoffs feature a mix of past champions and teams seeking their first title. Standout performers include Max Holden and Sam Curran for Desert Vipers.

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10 months ago
Why The Rupee Fell To 89.98 Against The Dollar Despite Rising Forex Reserves
Business

Why The Rupee Fell To 89.98 Against The Dollar Despite Rising Forex Reserves

The rupee depreciated eight paise to close at 89.98 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, weighed down by foreign fund outflows and a negative trend in domestic equities. Forex traders said persistent capital withdrawals from foreign investors, alongside heightened dollar demand from importers, dented investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit opened at 89.95 against the dollar and touched an intra-day low of 89.99 and a high of 89.88. At the end of Monday's trading session, the rupee was quoted at 89.98 (provisional) against the greenback. On Friday, the rupee depreciated 19 paise to close at 89.90 against the US dollar. "Traders may watch out for Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes and core PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) price index data from the US this week. USDINR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 89.60 to 90.20," said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset ShareKhan. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading marginally higher by 0.02 per cent at 98.03, as most markets are in a holiday mood and trading volumes are thin, limiting big moves and keeping the DXY range-bound. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 1.48 per cent higher at USD 61.54 per barrel in futures trade, amid thin year-end trading and ongoing concerns about global demand. Forex traders said the USD/INR pair is trading under pressure due to multiple factors, including a shift toward risk aversion, driven by persistent capital withdrawals from foreign investors ahead of the holiday break, alongside heightened greenback demand from importers. Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said that India and the US remain engaged in concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement. On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share sensitive index Sensex declined 345.91 points to settle at 84,695.54, while the Nifty was down 100.20 points to 25,942.10. Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 317.56 crore on Friday, according to exchange data. Meanwhile, India's forex reserves jumped USD 4.368 billion to USD 693.318 billion during the week ended December 19, the Reserve Bank said on Friday. The overall kitty had increased USD 1.689 billion to USD 688.949 billion in the previous week.  (This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

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10 months ago
World champ at 7; 'nervous' while meeting PM Modi: How Pragnika became prodigy
Sports

World champ at 7; 'nervous' while meeting PM Modi: How Pragnika became prodigy

Seven-year-old Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi, Under-7 Girls champion at the FIDE World Schools Chess Championship 2025, met PM Narendra Modi after winning gold for India on Friday. From learning chess during COVID to rapid success, she shows rare courage and discipline. Backed by family sacrifices, scholarships, and offline coaching, she balances school, training, and dreams of becoming the best chess player worldwide.

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10 months ago