China has reportedly launched large-scale naval military operations around Taiwan and in the Western Pacific without an official announcement of training.
On November 11, Taiwanese media and foreign news outlets reported that Taiwan's Defense Minister Gu Lixiong stated in the Legislative Yuan that China is conducting anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) exercises in the Western Pacific, mobilizing the Liaoning Carrier Strike Group and other naval task forces. A2/AD is a strategy aimed at blocking hostile forces from accessing specific maritime areas and conducting military operations, directly related to operations that would prevent U.S. aircraft carriers and military support from allies like Japan during a Taiwan crisis.
This movement was revealed through a map showing the deployment of Chinese vessels, shared by National Security Council Secretary-General Wu Zhaoxie on November 3. Wu indicated that over 100 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels were active across the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, and surrounding Taiwan, as well as in the Western Pacific. The map displayed a wide area of Chinese vessel deployments, including waters extending from Taiwan to Guam.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) raised the possibility on November 6 that China is conducting large-scale undisclosed military exercises simulating the isolation of Taiwan. According to the report, four naval task forces from the Eastern, Northern, and Southern theaters of the People's Liberation Army Navy have been deployed between Taiwan and Guam, including the Liaoning Carrier Strike Group. The simultaneous movement of major surface combatants from three different theaters is considered unusual.
The Liaoning Carrier Strike Group passed through the Basilan Strait in the southern Philippines from October 23 to 26, demonstrating its operational capabilities beyond the waters surrounding Taiwan. ISW analyzed that if the naval and coast guard forces stationed around Taiwan combine with the fleet deployed in the Western Pacific, they could isolate Taiwan at sea and in the air, blocking access for external support forces.
Chinese military aircraft activity has also increased. Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported detecting 49 instances of Chinese military aircraft activity within a 24-hour period until the morning of November 3, with 36 of those detected in southern Taiwan's waters. ISW suggested that the aircraft activity in southern Taiwan may support the operations of the Chinese fleet in the Western Pacific.
This military movement is notable for the lack of an official announcement from China regarding large-scale exercises. China previously described the Liaoning's training in the Western Pacific as an annual routine exercise to verify long-range operational capabilities, asserting it was not aimed at any specific country. However, both Taiwan and the U.S. have taken note of the simultaneous deployment of naval forces from multiple theaters.
China's military maneuvers come ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for next week in Shenzhen, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet. Taiwan's local elections are also set for November 28. Minister Gu stated that China's military intimidation threatens peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and pledged to strengthen information, surveillance, and reconnaissance cooperation with allied nations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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