At the end of 2025, the Chinese Communist Party’s military exercises encircling Taiwan were mainly conducted using old video editing, exaggerated posters, and sleight of hand for political propaganda. However, during the exercises, the CCP’s KJ-500 early warning aircraft, Y-20 aerial tanker, J-16D electronic warfare aircraft, etc., were targeted by Taiwan’s F-16 fighters, revealing new vulnerabilities. The designated exercise area by the CCP avoided Japanese islands, and Chinese warships experienced being illuminated by radar, falling into a new dilemma both politically and militarily.
According to Taiwan’s military notification, from 6:00 on December 29th to 6:00 on December 30th, they detected 130 incidents of Chinese aircraft, 14 Chinese warships, and 8 government vessels; from 6:00 on December 30th to 6:00 on December 31st, they detected 77 incidents of Chinese aircraft, 17 Chinese warships, and 8 government vessels. On the evening of December 31st, the CCP announced the end of the exercises.
The videos released by the CCP about the exercises were mostly edited from past footage. However, Taiwan’s military quickly released an on-site video titled “Calm and Unruffled,” exposing various Chinese military aircraft being locked in.
The KJ-500 is the main early warning aircraft of the CCP Air Force, claiming a maximum detection range of 470 kilometers. If the data is accurate, the KJ-500 should operate further behind the fighter planes and unlikely to expose itself to enemy fighters. However, the CCP’s KJ-500 was targeted by Taiwan’s F-16 fighters, indicating it may have entered Taiwan’s airspace, crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, or entered the southwestern airspace of Taiwan.
It is speculated that the radar detection range of CCP fighter planes may be only 100 kilometers and highly dependent on early warning aircraft. From this military exercise, it appears that the CCP’s early warning aircraft radar detection range is also limited, unable to accurately grasp the southeastern and southwestern airspace of Taiwan, only staying away from the mainland, therefore exposing themselves.
In March 2022, the U.S. military revealed that F-35 fighter jets had contact with Chinese J-20 fighters in the East China Sea, analyzing that the J-20 relies on the KJ-500 for long-range air-to-air missile guidance and expressed interest in disrupting this killing chain, but without revealing details. This time, the Taiwanese military was more straightforward, directly showing footage of the KJ-500 being locked onto. The CCP’s KJ-500 may be inadequate, or perhaps CCP commanders and pilots lack basic concepts of modern aerial combat.
Both the U.S. and Taiwan can detect CCP’s early warning aircraft, revealing the aerial advantage and disadvantage. Once CCP’s early warning aircraft is taken out first, fighters, bombers, and others may become headless flies.
The U.S. electronic warfare aircraft has been used in combat multiple times, deploying before airstrikes to paralyze enemy radar and communication systems. The CCP imitated the U.S. and introduced the J-16D electronic warfare aircraft, claiming its combat radius is significantly better than the U.S. EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft.
The CCP’s J-16D electronic warfare aircraft was locked by Taiwan’s F-16 fighters, which is equally embarrassing. This means the J-16D may be targeted even before implementing electronic jamming tasks.
It is estimated that the CCP’s J-16D electronic warfare aircraft may have refrained from real electronic interference for fear of exposing the electronic interference spectrum; hence they only symbolically crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered the southwestern airspace of Taiwan, but were caught by Taiwanese fighter jets.
The CCP’s aerial tanker repeatedly flew near the First Island Chain and was captured by the Taiwanese military multiple times. This time, Taiwan openly revealed footage of the Y-20 being targeted. Conducting aerial refueling near the First Island Chain or in the southwestern airspace of Taiwan is extremely dangerous; fighters and tanker aircraft could potentially be shot down simultaneously.
On November 30, 2024, the CCP’s Y-20 tanker once refueled the J-16 fighters in the Miyako Strait, under close surveillance and photographed by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
At the end of 2025, during the encirclement military exercises around Taiwan, four CCP fighters and bombers circled the southeastern airspace of Taiwan, presumably J-16 fighters and H-6 bombers, with Y-20 aerial tankers providing support, but they were caught. This once again reveals the limited range of CCP’s J-16 fighters.
The Taiwanese military also publicly showed footage of J-10 and J-16 fighters being locked onto, while leaving a question mark about whether the CCP’s J-20 fighter had been deployed. Of course, this may also clarify that the J-20 did not appear at all.
In previous CCP military exercises, Taiwan’s military likely targeted various CCP aircraft multiple times but did not fully disclose. This time, the Taiwanese military deliberately revealed numerous CCP military aircraft being targeted, possibly to clarify that the J-20 did not take part. This is, in essence, a way of showing CCP up since the J-20 appeared in the exercise video released by the CCP.
On August 23, 2023, the U.S. announced the sale of IRST infrared search and track systems to Taiwan for equipping F-16 fighters to detect stealth aircraft. The CCP’s J-20 lacks sufficient stealth capability from the sides and rear, once exposed during military exercises, the promotion of stealth fighters is thoroughly debunked.
The Taiwanese military intentionally disclosed a series of locked Chinese military aircraft, excluding the J-20, indirectly suggesting that the CCP’s promotion of the J-20 in the exercise video was a deception, as the J-20 did not actually participate; Taiwan could accurately identify this.
The CCP announced the start of the exercises on December 29th. According to Taiwan’s military notification, from 6:00 on December 28th to 6:00 on December 29th, they detected 2 instances of Chinese aircraft, 9 Chinese warships, and 2 government vessels. By 6:00 on December 30th, the count increased to 14 Chinese warships and 8 government vessels. By 6:00 on December 31st, it further increased to 17 Chinese warships and 8 government vessels.
The newly added Chinese ships consisted of roughly half military vessels and half coast guard ships. The naval vessels likely include Type 052C, 052D destroyers, and Type 054A frigates, with particular attention on the amphibious assault ships.
According to CCP media, on the afternoon of December 29th, after sailing more than 10,000 nautical miles, the amphibious assault ship formation led by the Hainan ship arrived in the southeastern waters of Taiwan, conducting joint exercises with bomber formations and anti-ship missile strike forces, engaging in exercises such as coordinated air-sea operations and maritime strikes.
Previously, the Hainan ship formation had ventured far into the Philippine Sea, even approaching Australia, and upon its return, entered the southeastern waters of Taiwan to participate in the encirclement military exercise, likely just for show.
The CCP’s released video showed helicopters lined up on the deck of the amphibious assault ship but not taking off. The Taiwanese military also did not report any helicopters appearing in the southeastern airspace. This could be another decoy from the CCP; while the amphibious assault ship was in position, the helicopters remained grounded, and amphibious tanks were not deployed.
It is presumed that the Hainan ship’s long journey this time may have omitted carrying amphibious tanks to reduce weight. Despite participating in the encirclement military exercise, they did not practice amphibious landings; on December 29th, they claimed the amphibious fleet cooperated with a few bombers for anti-ship strikes, appearing farcical.
On December 30th, the CCP promoted that the amphibious assault ship Hainan and its fleet conducted exercises involving vertical deployment and controlling important harbors, but when the exercises were announced to end on December 31st, no timely footage was released of amphibious landing exercises.
The CCP had previously delineated five areas for the encirclement military exercises, later increased to seven, leaving a blank space in the northeastern region of Taiwan, near the island of Nakanoshima in Japan.
In August 2022, the CCP test-fired missiles near Taiwan, with five landing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, prompting strong protests from Japan. Now, as the CCP is engaged in extensive anti-Japan propaganda, the encirclement military exercises intentionally avoided the areas close to Japan, revealing a sense of guilt. This may also signal to Japan that appropriate firmness against the CCP is truly effective.
During this exercise, Taiwan’s ships faced off one-on-one against CCP ships, with reports of communication between the vessels. CCP ships claimed to have been illuminated by Taiwan ship radars, experiencing being locked onto. A portion of the exercise area designated by the CCP covered Taiwan’s 12 nautical miles territorial waters, and CCP ships encroached within 24 nautical miles of Taiwan’s vicinity, giving the Taiwanese ships reason to prepare for action.
During a press conference, the Taiwanese military stated that according to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, when facing armed attacks, they have the right to use force for self-defense. Frontline Taiwanese forces have been authorized to respond timely.
In the CCP’s encirclement military exercise this time, none of the three aircraft carriers appeared, the amphibious landing exercises were a ruse, CCP fighter aircraft were exposed and embarrassed, live fire shots were more for show than efficacy, propaganda remained arrogant despite multiple internal flaws within the military. Consequently, many countries quickly condemned them, revealing CCP’s blunders further isolating them.