US Ambassador to China, David Perdue, convened with Quad ambassadors from Australia, India, and Japan in Beijing on 30 December 2025, reaffirming the grouping's commitment to a "free and open" Indo-Pacific amid escalating regional tensions.

Perdue described the Quad as "a force for good," emphasising the enduring strength of the US-Australia-India-Japan partnership in upholding a rules-based order.

This meeting occurred against the backdrop of China's large-scale "Justice Mission 2025" military exercises around Taiwan, which Beijing framed as a stern warning against independence forces.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command launched the drills on 29 December, mobilising army, navy, air force, rocket forces, and other units for joint operations. The exercises, codenamed "Justice Mission 2025," encompass air and maritime patrols, simulated precision strikes on hostile targets, port blockades, and battlefield periphery deterrence.

Live-fire components targeted five designated maritime and airspace zones encircling Taiwan, testing the PLA's integrated combat capabilities. Beijing portrayed these actions as essential to safeguard national sovereignty, directly responding to perceived separatist activities and external interference.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence reported detecting 130 PLA aircraft, 14 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels, and eight official ships around the island by 6:00 a.m. UTC+8 on 30 December. Of these, 90 aircraft crossed the median line into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) across northern, central, southwestern, and eastern sectors.

Taipei condemned the manoeuvres as "irrational provocations" undermining regional peace, activating rapid response exercises with all services and the Coast Guard on high alert. Lt Gen. Lien Chih-wei labelled the drills "irresponsible," noting Taiwan's established rules of engagement at strategic, operational, and tactical levels.

The timing of China's exercises follows the Trump administration's approval of an unprecedented $11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan on 18 December 2025. This package comprises eight sales, including 82 HIMARS rocket systems, 420 ATACMS missiles, 60 self-propelled howitzers, Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles, loitering munitions, drones, and support equipment.

Beijing reacted sharply, viewing the sales as escalatory support for Taiwanese separatism. President Donald Trump, during a televised address, made scant mention of the deal, though it underscores ongoing US efforts to bolster Taiwan's defences against Chinese coercion.

Perdue's remarks signal Quad unity amid these developments, projecting resolve to counterbalance China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. The South China Sea exercises overlap with heightened PLA activity, including patrols that Taiwan deems provocative incursions into its territorial waters.

Analysts see the Quad's diplomatic coordination in Beijing as a deliberate counter-narrative to China's military posturing, reinforcing multilateral cooperation for Indo-Pacific stability.

Taiwan President William Lai has urged bolstering defence capabilities to deter aggression, stressing that peace hinges on strength amid global concerns over the island's security.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed Beijing's stance, reaffirming Taiwan as an integral part of China and opposing independence. These positions highlight deepening geopolitical divides, with the Quad and US arms support on one side, and China-Russia alignment on the other.

The convergence of diplomatic affirmations by the Quad and China's multifaceted drills underscores a precarious regional security landscape. As Beijing intensifies its military demonstrations, Quad partners continue collaborative efforts to maintain navigational freedoms and counterbalance influence in contested waters.

Ongoing monitoring by Taiwan and heightened alertness across the region suggest potential for further escalation if provocations persist.

Based On ANI Report