On a Tuesday at Taiwan's parliament, Defense Minister Wellington Koo described a pattern that many in the region had already been sensing in the water: a Chinese naval posture in the Western Pacific that he characterizes as area denial, built around the Liaoning carrier group and other formations. Such drills aim to keep outside powers from reaching a contested place in time of crisis, and in this case the place is Taiwan. Beijing has declared no drills and calls the carrier's voyage routine, so the meaning of the moment remains partly unspoken, held between a warning and a denial, as two capi
Taiwan Says China Is Running 'Area Denial' Drills in the Western Pacific Around Its Carrier Group
Beijing has not formally declared any drills.
Mark
Start with the basics. What did Koo actually say?
Mimi
That China has conducted area denial drills in the Western Pacific with the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations. He said it plainly, to reporters at parliament.
Mark
And area denial means what, in practice?
Mimi
Keeping outside forces away from a conflict. For Taiwan, that means making it harder for the U.S. or its allies to come to its aid if China attacked.
Luke
Worth separating who is saying what, though. The characterization as area denial comes from Taiwan's defense minister. Beijing hasn't declared any drills.
Mimi
Right. China's ministry said last month the Liaoning's training is an annual routine, testing long-range open-ocean combat, not aimed at any country.
Mark
So two readings of the same ships.
Luke
Yes, and the reporting doesn't settle between them. We also have no confirmed count from Beijing. The figure of more than 100 naval and Coast Guard ships comes from Joseph Wu's post, and the aircraft rise is from Taiwan's defense ministry, with no number given here.
Mark
Why does the timing matter?
Mimi
The APEC summit in Shenzhen is next week, where Trump is expected to meet Xi again, and Taiwan votes in local elections at the end of the month.
Luke
Timing is context, not proof of intent. Nothing in the source says the drills were scheduled around either event.
Il Polso
- Taiwan's defense minister has publicly named China's activity as area denial drills, raising the stakes of every ship movement.
- More than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard vessels are reported across waters off Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Pacific.
- Air force sorties around the island have climbed sharply, and Taipei is tracking them with joint surveillance and allied intelligence sharing.
- Beijing has formally declared no drills and calls the Liaoning's training an annual routine, leaving the situation in ambiguous silence.
- The activity sits just before the APEC summit in Shenzhen and Taiwan's local elections, so the trajectory will hinge on whether it swells or quietly recedes.
On a Tuesday at Taiwan's parliament, Defense Minister Wellington Koo described a pattern that many in the region had already been sensing in the water: a Chinese naval posture in the Western Pacific that he characterizes as area denial, built around the Liaoning carrier group and other formations. Such drills aim to keep outside powers from reaching a contested place in time of crisis, and in this case the place is Taiwan. Beijing has declared no drills and calls the carrier's voyage routine, so the meaning of the moment remains partly unspoken, held between a warning and a denial, as two capitals prepare to meet at a summit in Shenzhen and Taiwan prepares for its local elections.
Taiwan's defense minister, Wellington Koo, told reporters at parliament on Tuesday that China is running "area denial" drills across the Western Pacific. He named the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations as part of the effort. His words came after several days of reports that Chinese military activity around the island had quickened.
The phrase carries weight. Anti-access/area denial, or A2AD, is a way of keeping an outside force from entering a conflict. For Taiwan, that means keeping American or allied forces away if Beijing ever moved against the island. The warning did not appear out of nowhere. Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, had earlier described more than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships operating off Taiwan, in the South China Sea, and out into the Pacific, while the defense ministry recorded a large rise in Chinese air force flights.
Beijing has not announced any drills. Its defense ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Last month it described the Liaoning's Pacific training as a yearly routine, aimed at no particular country. China regards Taiwan as its own territory and has never given up the option of force, though it speaks of "peaceful reunification." Taipei rejects that claim and insists its people alone will decide their future.
Koo said Taiwan is watching closely and believes such deterrence undermines peace in the Indo-Pacific. Taipei will rely on joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and share information with partners to track the activity and respond.
The timing matters. A summit of APEC leaders in Shenzhen is due next week, where Donald Trump is expected to meet Xi Jinping again, and Taiwan's local elections follow at month's end. Whether the maritime activity fades or grows around those dates, and whether Beijing speaks about it formally, will shape what comes next.
Taiwan's defense minister, Wellington Koo, told reporters at parliament on Tuesday that China has been conducting "area denial" drills in the Western Pacific. By his account, the drills involve the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations. His remarks followed days of reports that Chinese military activity near the island had picked up.
The term he used has a specific meaning. Anti-access/area denial, usually shortened to A2AD, describes efforts to keep an outside force from intervening in a conflict. In the Taiwan context, that means preventing U.S. or other allied forces from coming to Taipei's aid if Beijing were to attack.
The groundwork for Koo's statement was laid the week before. Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, posted details on his X account about deployments of more than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships. They were operating off Taiwan, in the South China Sea, and out into the Pacific. Taiwan's defense ministry also reported a large rise in the number of Chinese air force aircraft around the island.
Beijing, however, has not formally declared any drills. China's defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Koo's remarks. Last month, it described the Liaoning's training in the western Pacific as an annual routine meant to test long-range, open-ocean combat capabilities, and said it was not aimed at any particular country.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and regularly sends warplanes and warships into the skies and waters around it. It has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, though it says it would prefer "peaceful reunification." Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and maintains that only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.
Koo said Taiwan's military is watching closely. He said Taipei believes this kind of military deterrence is intended to undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan, he said, will use joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance means, and exchange intelligence with allies, to keep monitoring the activity and respond appropriately.
The timing sits between two events. The APEC summit in Shenzhen is due next week, where U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping again. Taiwan's local elections follow at the end of this month. Whether the maritime activity ebbs or grows around those dates, and whether Beijing says anything formal about it, are the things to watch.
Citazioni salienti
China has indeed conducted area denial drills in the Western Pacific with the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations.— Wellington Koo, Taiwan Defense Minister
The Liaoning's western Pacific training is an annual routine to test long-range, open-ocean combat capabilities and is not directed at any particular country.— China's defense ministry, paraphrased, statement last month
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