When China’s military launched its “ Justice Mission 2025 ” exercises last December, simulating a blockade of Taiwan’s major ports and air routes, hundreds of civilian flights between Taiwan and its outlying islands were disrupted. For thousands of stranded passengers, the drills offered a brief, unsettling glimpse of what a real crisis might feel like. The book cover for "Defending Taiwan" by Eyck Freymann. The title is written in large gold serif font at the top against a dark, cloudy sky.