China Raises Taiwan Tensions After Deploying H-6 Bombers Armed With Anti-Ship Missiles.

China’s PLA (Chinese Armed Forces) Eastern Theater Command confirmed on December 29, 2025, that H-6 strategic bombers armed with YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles conducted combat readiness patrols east of Taiwan. The operation underscores Beijing’s intent to challenge U.S. and allied intervention beyond the First Island Chain in any Taiwan contingency.

China’s military has publicly highlighted a new phase of its pressure campaign around Taiwan, with the PLA (Chinese Armed Forces) Eastern Theater Command announcing that H-6 strategic bombers equipped with YJ-12 anti-ship cruise missiles conducted combat-readiness patrols east of the island on December 29, 2025. According to official PLA statements, the mission was framed as routine training, but its location and payload point to a deliberate demonstration of long-range strike capability aimed at countering external forces operating in the western Pacific.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber takes off, carrying YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles, during long-range strike exercises east of Taiwan, as footage released by China on December 29, 2025, shows. (Picture source: China MoD)

At its core, China's deployment of H-60 bombers is a show of force aimed at multiple audiences. For domestic consumption, it reinforces the Chinese Communist Party’s narrative of military strength and technological self-reliance, especially at a time when regional tensions are rising, and U.S.-led alliances are growing more cohesive. But externally, the message is sharper: the PLA is demonstrating that it can now strike with precision and reach far beyond Taiwan’s immediate periphery, potentially holding U.S. aircraft carriers, amphibious groups, and critical infrastructure at risk before they can effectively intervene.

Strategically, the choice of the H-6 bomber and YJ-12 missile pairing is not accidental. The H-6K variant’s long range allows it to launch standoff weapons from hundreds of kilometers away, while the YJ-12’s Mach 3.5 velocity and evasive flight profile make it a serious threat to even the most advanced naval defenses. By practicing attacks beyond the First Island Chain - a notional line used by U.S. planners to define the outer boundary of China’s conventional reach - Beijing is effectively redrawing the lines of military engagement in the region. The PLA is signaling its readiness to conduct preemptive or first-wave strikes against forward-deployed U.S. forces in Japan, Guam, or the Philippine Sea.

From the American perspective, this kind of drill is viewed as both a provocation and a preview. While publicly downplayed as “routine provocations,” defense officials in Washington see these bomber patrols as rehearsals for war. In confidential briefings, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) planners increasingly point to scenarios in which China attempts a rapid decapitation strike against Taiwan, followed by simultaneous attacks to delay or deny U.S. reinforcement through anti-ship missiles, cyber disruption, and space-based targeting.

The deployment also aligns with Beijing’s broader “counter-intervention” doctrine, which assumes the U.S. would attempt to defend Taiwan but seeks to raise the costs so high that political will collapses before decisive action can be taken. The H-6/YJ-12 combination plays directly into this strategy by creating credible “no-go zones” that could block or delay U.S. naval movements at the outset of a Taiwan contingency.

Despite this, the Pentagon remains committed to deterrence by denial. In response to China's growing long-range strike capabilities, the U.S. has expanded deployments of submarine-launched missiles, dispersed air assets across smaller airfields under Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine, and deepened regional alliances, particularly with Japan and the Philippines. A senior U.S. defense official speaking to Army Recognition noted, “We are fully aware of China’s intent to shape the battlespace before a shot is fired. Our job is to ensure they never believe they can win that battle.”

However, analysts warn that time may be narrowing. RAND Corporation expert Timothy Heath says, “China is essentially messaging that they are no longer content to defend the coastline. They want to project power across the Pacific and challenge the U.S. Navy’s historical dominance in open waters.” If Beijing believes it can deter or defeat early U.S. intervention with pre-positioned assets like the H-6 and YJ-12, the calculus for launching an invasion of Taiwan becomes more favorable.

The latest bomber drill comes amid increasing Chinese military activity around Taiwan, including amphibious exercises in the South China Sea and cyber disruptions targeting Taiwanese infrastructure. Viewed in this context, the H-6 patrol is not an isolated action but part of a rehearsed operational playbook designed to prepare for a Taiwan invasion under the guise of “reunification.”

What is ultimately at stake is not only the future of Taiwan, but the credibility of U.S. security guarantees in the Indo-Pacific. Should China perceive that Washington lacks the will or the ability to respond effectively in the early hours of a cross-Strait conflict, it may be emboldened to act. The H-6 bomber’s shadow over Taiwan is not just the silhouette of a weapon platform - it is the shape of a fast-changing strategic landscape that could define the next major conflict of the 21st century.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.