China has broadened its latest round of military activity around Taiwan as Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticised what Beijing describes as a record United States arms package for the island, linking the sale to what he called “provocations” by Taiwan’s “pro-independence forces”.

Speaking in Beijing on Tuesday during an end-of-year diplomatic briefing, Wang said China would “resolutely oppose and strongly counter” moves connected to large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan and political positions in Taipei that Beijing opposes. He reiterated China’s objective of what he termed “complete reunification” with Taiwan.

The remarks came as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) entered the second day of drills that Chinese state media and military statements framed as a warning against “external interference”. Reuters reported that the operation, described by China as its largest exercises around Taiwan to date, involved naval, air, artillery and rocket units operating across multiple zones intended to demonstrate the ability to encircle the island.

On Tuesday, Reuters said China launched rockets into waters north and south of Taiwan and deployed amphibious assault ships, bombers and destroyers as part of exercises simulating a blockade. The report said the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command focused on scenarios aimed at constricting access to major ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south, while also conducting drills described as involving maritime and aerial target strikes and anti-submarine operations.

Taiwan’s defence authorities said they were monitoring the situation closely and had activated readiness measures. Taiwanese officials described the drills as a campaign of intimidation and said the island would take action to protect its security and way of life. Taiwan’s government maintains that the island is self-governed and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

The exercise has also had practical effects beyond military signalling. Reuters reported significant disruption to air travel following the Chinese announcements, with large numbers of passengers and flights affected as carriers adjusted routes and schedules. Taiwan’s aviation authorities issued notices on flight route changes associated with the drill areas.

The trigger for Beijing’s latest escalation, in its own telling, is an American arms package for Taiwan notified earlier this month and valued at more than $11 billion. The proposed sales cover eight items and include additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, Javelin anti-tank missiles and loitering munition drones, alongside communications and support elements. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President have publicly listed the same eight components in statements welcoming the notification.

The State Department announcement amounts to the largest US arms sale to Taiwan to date, and noted that US policy is framed by domestic law requiring Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. President Donald Trump has pressed Taiwan to increase defence purchases, including publicly suggesting the island should spend up to 10 per cent of GDP on defence.

Beijing has sought to raise the cost of the sale for Washington and the companies involved. In late December, China announced sanctions against a group of US defence-related firms and individuals. Defence News, citing the AP account of the measures, reported that the list included companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and L3Harris Maritime Services.

Wang’s speech broadened the dispute beyond the immediate arms package. AP reported that he criticised Japan’s leaders and singled out Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, describing her as having inflamed Beijing by implying Japan could intervene militarily over Taiwan. Wang said China should remain vigilant against what he called a resurgence of Japanese militarism, linking his comments to the legacy of Japan’s wartime actions and post-war arrangements.

The AP report was accompanied by a photograph showing Wang shaking hands with France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on 3 December, underscoring that the Taiwan dispute is unfolding alongside China’s wider diplomatic engagement with European governments.

Wang used the end-of-year event to highlight broader foreign policy themes. He welcomed international efforts towards a Gaza ceasefire while arguing that the Palestinian issue required renewed attention and that China continued to support a two-state framework. He also reiterated China’s stated aim of facilitating a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, while AP noted that Beijing presents itself as impartial despite maintaining frequent high-level exchanges and military activity with Moscow.

For Taiwan and its partners, the immediate issue is the pace and scale at which the PLA is demonstrating coercive options around the island. Reuters described the drills as the sixth major operation of this kind since 2022, with the latest iteration extending the geographic pattern and intensity, and incorporating elements consistent with a rapid shift from exercises to operational postures.