The Strait Thunder–2025A () was a military exercise organized by the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China from 1–2 April 2025, involving the command's land, sea, air, and rocket forces. The exercise was conducted in the vicinity of the Matsu Islands and the main island of Taiwan. The drill on 2 April was held in the central and southern parts of the Taiwan Strait. This was China's seventh major military drill targeting Taiwan since August 2022.
Background On 26 February 2025, shortly before the exercise, the People's Liberation Army Navy conducted an unannounced exercise off the coast of Kaohsiung and Pingtung. The exercise included live-fire drills. At least 32 aircraft and several warships participated in the exercise, of which 22 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and its extension, entering the airspace north of Taiwan and its surrounding waters. This exercise was not announced in advance, and the code name of the operation was not made public. It was widely regarded as simulating a surprise attack. The Republic of China's navy, army, and air force were placed on alert. The next day, the Premier of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China, Cho Jung-tai, expressed hope that mainland China would exercise restraint in such actions and instructed the armed forces to remain vigilant against various developments in the surrounding areas. The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China also condemned the PLA's behavior. On the same day, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, Director of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense and spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, criticized the US attempt to "use Taiwan to contain China" and the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party authorities' attempt to "rely on the US to seek independence" and "resist unification by force" at a regular press conference when answering questions about Taiwan's recent "Han Kuang Exercise." He said to the Taiwan side, "Trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm will only lead to its own destruction. Sooner or later, we will come to take you away."
On 13 March, President Lai Ching-te of the Republic of China delivered a speech after a national security meeting held on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Anti-Secession Law. In addition to proposing 17 response strategies for addressing the national security and united front threats facing Taiwan, he also described China as "foreign hostile forces" under the Anti-Infiltration Act.
On 1 April, Republic of China Minister of National Defense Gu Lixiong stated that since 29 March, the movements of the aircraft carrier Shandong formation and other aircraft and ships had been gradually monitored, and that on 31 March they entered the National Armed Forces' "response zone", indicating that the People's Liberation Army had begun preparing for military operations since the end of March.
Military Exercise Process 1 April On 1 April, Zhu Anqing, spokesperson for the East China Sea Branch of the China Coast Guard, stated that multiple Coast Guard fleets organized law enforcement patrols in the waters around Taiwan, including exercises involving spot inspections, arrests, interception, and detention. The Fujian Coast Guard organized a fleet of ships to conduct comprehensive law enforcement patrols in the waters near Dongyin Island and Wuqiu Island.
On the morning of 1 April, the Eastern Theater Command Media Center released three posters in Traditional Chinese characters with themes such as "Advance," "Deterrence and Closure," and "Destruction and Paralysis", as well as an animation titled "Shell." The animation portrayed Lai Ching-te as using "peace," "freedom," "democracy," and "prosperity" as a cover to "de-Chiangize" his country, formulate the "17 National Security Regulations" of "green terror" to persecute political opponents (such as Ko Wen-je and Kao An-kuo), increase military purchases, and rely on the United States to seek "independence" and sell out Taiwan. In the animation, Lai Ching-te was depicted as a worm being roasted over a fire. This was the first time since Chiang Kai-shek that the Chinese Communist Party had vilified a major Taiwanese leader in this manner. On the same day, the Eastern Theater Command released an animation titled "Exorcising Demons and Demons", which used material from the 2024 game Black Myth: Wukong. The video showed Taipei 101 and Hankou Street, as well as satellite positioning locked onto Taiwan, and simulated missile attacks on Zhongzheng District in Taipei City, where the Presidential Palace of the Republic of China is located. This was the first time that the People's Liberation Army had clearly disclosed its intended target in this way. However, Taiwan's China Times considered the video to have a stronger "internal propaganda" character. The exercise video released by official media showed for the first time the so-called H-6K bomber carrying the Eagle Strike 21 anti-ship missile, which is considered capable of effectively preventing US military intervention. According to data from the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China, at least 76 PLA military aircraft (37 of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait), 15 warships, and 4 government ships approached Taiwan that day.
2 April At a time when the outside world generally believed that this was a sudden, unannounced military exercise with no publicly known name, like the one in February 2024, the Eastern Theater Command officially announced the code name of this exercise, "Strait Thunder-2025A," on 2 April, the second day of the exercise. However, the exercise began on 2 April, and its scope included only the "relevant waters in the central and southern parts of the Taiwan Strait". The training subjects were "verification and identification, warning and expulsion, interception and detention, etc.", which differed from the previously announced timing, scope, and subjects. This indicates that "Strait Thunder" was not the code name of the entire exercise and that the exercise on 1 April was not part of "Strait Thunder".
On 2 April, the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army conducted a long-range live-fire exercise in the relevant waters of the East China Sea in accordance with the exercise plan, striking simulated targets such as important ports and energy facilities. The Shandong aircraft carrier formation was in the waters and airspace east of Taiwan Island, conducting exercises with naval and air forces on subjects such as ship-aircraft coordination, regional air control, and sea and land strikes. Zhang Chi, a professor at the People's Liberation Army National Defense University (China), said that the Shandong aircraft carrier formation's participation in the exercise showed that the PLA's ability to respond quickly, strike with precision, and coordinate its forces was constantly improving. The presence of the aircraft carrier fleet in the area east of Taiwan could help block the "Taiwan independence" forces' lifeline for energy imports, support line for obtaining foreign aid, and escape route for evading sanctions. Later, the Eastern Theater Command simulated an attack on the Yong'an LNG Terminal in Kaohsiung using the PHL-16. As a result, the trajectory of the cargo ship Ebisu, which was transporting natural gas to the Taichung LNG Terminal, was suspected of having been affected by the exercise. The Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of China clarified the situation. However, the Eastern Theater Command had identified the energy facilities in the Republic of China as priority targets for destruction. In addition, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted long-range live-fire exercises in the East China Sea. The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China stated that on that day, at least 59 PLA aircraft, 31 of which crossed the median line of the strait and entered the northern, central, southwestern, and eastern airspace, and 23 warships approached Taiwan. Images released by the Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan) at a press conference confirmed that China Coast Guard Ship 2305 had entered the 24-nautical-mile zone adjacent to Taiwan Island. Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with China Central Television, said that the closest drill came within 20 nautical miles of Taiwan.
On 2 April, the Eastern Theater Command released a poster titled "Lockdown". The official account of the People's Liberation Army News and Communication Center, "Jun Zhengping Studio", published a commentary titled "Taiwan independence means war, don't say I didn't warn you". The China Coast Guard released a themed video titled "Clean Sea" about law enforcement and control around Taiwan Island.
3 April On 3 April, the People's Liberation Army Daily published a commentary signed by "Jun Sheng" entitled "Separatist provocations will be severely punished, and the reunification of the motherland will surely be realized", which directly called Lai Ching-te a "trouble maker", "danger maker", and "war maker". The People's Daily published a commentary signed by "Zhong Yiping" entitled "Resolutely punish Lai Ching-te and do our utmost to defend peace in the Taiwan Strait", stating that "every time the Lai Ching-te administration provokes, military deterrence will be further advanced".
At 6:47 a.m. on 3 April, a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was warned by a People's Liberation Army Navy warship while flying in the airspace near the waters off the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung County, Taiwan. The warship said: "You have entered the 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone of China Taiwan, adjust your route and leave." The crew of the P-8 Poseidon responded: "We are conducting a legitimate military operation in international airspace."
Reactions
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, stated that the joint exercises conducted by the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army around Taiwan Island were a resolute punishment for the Lai Ching-te administration's "rampant provocations" in seeking "Taiwan independence". According to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee, this was described as a solemn warning to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces deliberately undermining peace in the Taiwan Strait and as a necessary measure to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, responded to the remarks by various countries and international organizations at regular press conferences over three consecutive days: Guo Jiakun stated at a regular press conference on 1 April that China's joint exercises were a serious warning and powerful deterrent to the separatist forces of "Taiwan independence", and were a legitimate and necessary action to defend national sovereignty and maintain national unity.