Taiwans daily life continues despite increased Chinese military exercises

Taiwan Conducts Live-Fire Drills Amid Chinese Military Exercises

Residents on the island have become accustomed to frequent displays of Chinese military power, with life continuing as usual despite recent live-fire drills and a rehearsed blockade in the waters surrounding Taiwan.

Seventy-year-old Liao, a retiree from New Taipei City, expressed her confidence that war is unlikely. “Everyday life hasn’t been impacted,” she said during a haircut at a local salon. “I’ve lived in Taiwan for 70 years. I’m used to it.”

Liao’s hairstylist also reported that the drills had not affected her work. “Working people don’t have time to pay attention to these things. All they can do is work,” she said.

The Chinese military has conducted live-fire drills and rehearsed a blockade in the waters surrounding Taiwan, which China calls “Justice Mission 2025”. The exercises included disinformation and propaganda videos, including one showing an aircraft flying close to the Taipei 101 skyscraper that was dismissed as fake by the Taiwanese government.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, and has stated its intention to unify the island with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by force if necessary. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the exercises as “a punitive and deterrent action against separatist forces who seek Taiwan independence”.

The drills have sparked concerns about increased tensions between China and Taiwan. In recent years, there have been six large-scale military drills around Taiwan since a visit by then-US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022.

According to data from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence, the number of documented violations of Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) has increased significantly, reaching 266 by November this year.

Source: Al Jazeera