{"id":42076,"date":"2026-01-13T12:03:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T10:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/?p=42076"},"modified":"2026-01-14T11:45:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T09:45:27","slug":"chinas-grip-tightens-around-taiwan-washington-sharpens-the-porcupine-spikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/chinas-grip-tightens-around-taiwan-washington-sharpens-the-porcupine-spikes\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s Grip Tightens Around Taiwan; Washington Sharpens the Porcupine Spikes"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"42076\" class=\"elementor elementor-42076\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-199239d6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"199239d6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5f817310\" data-id=\"5f817310\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74430f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"74430f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Photo: Unsplash<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a09c810 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7a09c810\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-7a09c810{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-102fa553 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"102fa553\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5565043e\" data-id=\"5565043e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-7d6f7a43 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7d6f7a43\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-no-translation=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-4d3b5b0e\" data-id=\"4d3b5b0e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59619e5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"59619e5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is happening?<\/h2><p>On December 29\u201330, 2025, the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/chinas-military-conduct-live-fire-exercises-around-taiwan-tuesday-2025-12-28\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conducted<\/a> another <strong>large-scale naval military exercise in the vicinity of Taiwan<\/strong> under the name\u00a0<strong><em>Justice Mission 2025<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(\u6b63\u7fa9\u4f7f\u547d). This marked the eighth major exercise of its kind, officially intended to simulate a naval blockade of the island and its key port infrastructure. At the same time, however, the drills served as systematic preparation of the People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) for offensive and amphibious operations in the event of a <strong>Chinese invasion of Taiwan<\/strong>. In terms of both scale and complexity, these maneuvers rank among the most extensive military and naval operations Beijing has ever undertaken. Through these actions, the PRC continues to escalate tensions in Taiwan Strait and increase the risk of conflict outbreak in a region whose stability has direct implications for global peace. Taiwan is thus increasingly positioned at the very <strong>epicenter of strategic competition.<\/strong><\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>What is the broader picture?<\/h2><p>Although Beijing officially frames the exercises as a rehearsal of a maritime quarantine within what it describes as its <em>own renegade province<\/em>, the maneuvers also included live-fire drills, with several projectiles and significant number of ships \u2014 for the first time ever \u2014reportedly <strong>interfered <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2026\/01\/chinas-taiwan-drills-are-crossing-a-new-line\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>directly with Taiwan\u2019s contiguous zone<\/strong><\/a>. Moreover, the nature of certain assault and amphibious operations closely resembled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/articles\/china-taiwan-update-special-edition-december-31-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">preparations for military counteroperations<\/a> against an external force that might attempt to disrupt or break a Chinese naval blockade. According to some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/articles\/china-taiwan-update-special-edition-december-31-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">analysts,<\/a> selected scenarios were also focused on rehearsing a direct military invasion, including potential operations aimed at the rapid <strong>destabilization and decapitation of the political leadership in Taipei.<\/strong><\/p><p>Another prominent feature of the recent maneuvers was the emphasis on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/articles\/china-taiwan-update-special-edition-december-31-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">effective integration<\/a> of multiple China Coast Guard vessels and their coordination with the PLA Navy. In the event of an actual naval blockade, the <strong>CCG would play a key role<\/strong> in controlling maritime traffic and conducting inspections of civilian and commercial vessels approaching the island. Through this approach, Beijing strives to <strong>create an appearance of legitimacy for its territorial claims<\/strong> and military operations under the pretext of enforcing Chinese internal law. Through this \u201ccivilian\u201d component, the PRC seeks to portray any potential military action against Taiwan \u2014 whether in the form of a naval blockade or an amphibious invasion\u2014 as a just domestic issue, both under Chinese law and, purportedly, under international law.<\/p><p>Over the past two weeks, numerous analysts have already <a href=\"https:\/\/globaltaiwan.org\/2026\/01\/pla-justice-mission-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">provided detailed assessments<\/a> of the technical and operational aspects of these naval maneuvers. Nevertheless, it is worth revisiting why Beijing chose to escalate precisely at this moment. One possible factor is China\u2019s response to a recent diplomatic rift between Tokyo and Beijing, which we discussed in a <a href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/who-let-the-wolves-out-japans-position-on-taiwan-infuriated-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous edition of this briefing<\/a>. Historically, however, such exercises have almost without exception been primarily reactions to <strong>political and diplomatic developments along the Washington-Taipei axis<\/strong>. Indeed, the maneuvers took place against the backdrop <strong>of a US$11.1 billion <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/taiwan-says-us-has-initiated-111-billion-arms-sale-procedure-2025-12-18\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>arms deal<\/strong><\/a><strong> between<\/strong> <strong>the United States and Taiwan, the largest ever sale to Taipei. <\/strong>More important than the headline figure, however, is the <strong>composition of the deal itself.<\/strong><\/p><p>In a previous edition of this briefing, we <a href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/trump-era-arms-deals-revived-are-taiwans-big-guns-back\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted<\/a> that, with the arrival of Donald Trump\u2019s second administration, Taiwan once again appeared poised to pursue large-scale military procurements. At the time, it remained unclear whether a more conservative approach would prevail \u2014 focused on acquiring highly sophisticated and expensive systems that cannot quantitatively match Chinese capabilities \u2014 or whether Taipei would further commit to the long-debated\u00a0<strong>\u201cporcupine strategy.\u201d<\/strong> Under this doctrine, Taiwan prioritizes the acquisition of larger numbers of smaller, highly mobile, yet no less lethal weapons systems designed to inflict disproportionate costs on invading PLA forces, deter aggression, or even deny China the very feasibility of a military invasion.<\/p><p>The newly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dsca.mil\/Press-Media\/Major-Arms-Sales\/Article-Display\/Article\/4363081\/taipei-economic-and-cultural-representative-office-in-the-united-states-high-mo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced military packages<\/a> clearly <strong>reflect this strategic choice<\/strong>. They include eighty-two M142 HIMARS rocket launchers, along with hundreds of rounds of precision short-range missiles for these highly mobile rocket systems. Of particular note is the sale of <strong>420 missiles in the ATACMS category<\/strong>, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers, enabling Taiwanese HIMARS units to <strong>strike Chinese invasion forces while they are still on the mainland<\/strong>, within the coastal province of Fujian. This would significantly complicate the logistics and execution of any invasion plans. Taipei will also substantially strengthen and modernize its artillery capabilities through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dsca.mil\/Press-Media\/Major-Arms-Sales\/Article-Display\/Article\/4363063\/taipei-economic-and-cultural-representative-office-in-the-united-states-m109a7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">acquisition<\/a> of 60 new highly mobile M109A7 self-propelled howitzers. Packages further include an unspecified number of modern loitering munitions, precision-guided weapons, and likely hundreds of portable anti-armor systems such as Javelins. These systems are easier to disperse, difficult to target and capable of inflicting severe losses on invading forces.<\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>Why is it important?<\/h2><p>Given the composition of the deal, it is evident that <strong>strategic<\/strong> <strong>pragmatism has prevailed in both Washington and Taipei<\/strong> over commercial interests and ideological considerations. Whereas in previous years the sharpening of Taiwan\u2019s \u201cporcupine\u201d was driven primarily by the Biden administration, the first Trump administration tended to prioritize the sale of technologically advanced but extremely costly weapon systems \u2014 such as F-16 fighter jets or Abrams main battle tanks \u2014 whose utility for asymmetric defense has long been subject to debate. In light of the pronounced imbalance of forces between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, it is clear that Taipei will <strong>sooner or later have to rely on an asymmetric warfare strategy<\/strong>, if the island\u2019s defense is to remain viable in the event of a Chinese attack. The fact that both Washington and Taipei are now moving in this doctrinal direction represents a strategically significant and encouraging development.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Unsplash Foto: Unsplash What is happening? On December 29\u201330, 2025, the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) conducted another large-scale naval military exercise in the vicinity of Taiwan under the name\u00a0Justice Mission 2025\u00a0(\u6b63\u7fa9\u4f7f\u547d). This marked the eighth major exercise of its kind, officially intended to simulate a naval blockade of the island and its key [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":42078,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[552],"class_list":["post-42076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-ondrej-malek"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>China\u2019s Grip Tightens Around Taiwan; Washington Sharpens the Porcupine Spikes - European Values Center for Security Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/chinas-grip-tightens-around-taiwan-washington-sharpens-the-porcupine-spikes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"China\u2019s Grip Tightens Around Taiwan; Washington Sharpens the Porcupine Spikes - European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo: Unsplash Foto: Unsplash What is happening? On December 29\u201330, 2025, the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) conducted another large-scale naval military exercise in the vicinity of Taiwan under the name\u00a0Justice Mission 2025\u00a0(\u6b63\u7fa9\u4f7f\u547d). 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On December 29\u201330, 2025, the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) conducted another large-scale naval military exercise in the vicinity of Taiwan under the name\u00a0Justice Mission 2025\u00a0(\u6b63\u7fa9\u4f7f\u547d). 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