On a Tuesday in parliament, Taiwan's defence minister Wellington Koo named something that had been gathering quietly at sea: Chinese naval formations, built around the carrier Liaoning, practising what Beijing's military terminology calls area denial in the Western Pacific. Beijing, which has never formally announced the exercises, calls them routine training for open-ocean warfare, while Taipei reads them as an attempt to keep outside powers from reaching the island's shores. The moment arrives just before a summit in Shenzhen and Taiwan's local elections, two points on a calendar where rival
Taiwan Says China Is Running 'Area Denial' Drills in Western Pacific Around Carrier Group
Taiwan says China is rehearsing how to keep help from reaching the island
Mark
Why does the phrase "area denial" matter here, rather than just "drills"?
Mimi
Because it names a purpose. A2AD is about keeping outside forces, meaning the US or its allies, from helping Taiwan in a conflict. Koo is saying these exercises rehearse that.
Mark
And the scale of what Taiwan is tracking?
Mimi
Joseph Wu posted details of more than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships off Taiwan, in the South China Sea and into the Pacific. The defence ministry also reported a large rise in Chinese aircraft.
Luke
Let me separate what's confirmed from what's attributed. The "area denial" label comes from Taiwan's defence minister. Has Beijing confirmed anything?
Mimi
No. China hasn't formally declared any drills. Last month its defence ministry called the Liaoning's training an annual routine testing long-range, open-ocean combat, not aimed at any country.
Luke
So two readings of the same ships, and the report doesn't settle which is right. Did China respond to Koo's remarks?
Mimi
Not immediately, according to the report.
Mark
What about the timing?
Mimi
The APEC summit in Shenzhen is next week, where Trump and Xi are expected to meet, and Taiwan's local elections are at the end of the month.
Luke
Worth noting the reporting doesn't say the timing is deliberate. It only says the drills come ahead of those events.
Mark
What is Taiwan doing in response?
Mimi
Koo says it will monitor with joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and share intelligence with allies.
El Pulso
- Taiwan's defence minister has publicly named Chinese 'area denial' drills around the carrier Liaoning in the Western Pacific.
- More than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships reportedly operate across waters near Taiwan, the South China Sea and the Pacific, unsettling Taipei's security planners.
- A sharp rise in Chinese air force sorties around the island has pushed Taiwan's military into continuous monitoring mode.
- Taipei is answering with joint surveillance and intelligence sharing with allies, while Beijing declines to declare the drills and insists they are routine.
- With an APEC summit in Shenzhen bringing Trump and Xi together next week, and Taiwan's local elections at month's end, the situation is poised on a knife's edge of diplomacy.
On a Tuesday in parliament, Taiwan's defence minister Wellington Koo named something that had been gathering quietly at sea: Chinese naval formations, built around the carrier Liaoning, practising what Beijing's military terminology calls area denial in the Western Pacific. Beijing, which has never formally announced the exercises, calls them routine training for open-ocean warfare, while Taipei reads them as an attempt to keep outside powers from reaching the island's shores. The moment arrives just before a summit in Shenzhen and Taiwan's local elections, two points on a calendar where rival ambitions are measured in ships and in words.
Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo stood before parliament reporters on Tuesday and stated what his ministry had been tracking for days. China, he said, has been running "area denial" drills in the Western Pacific, built around the carrier Liaoning and supported by other naval formations.
The warning did not come out of nowhere. Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, had recently pointed to the deployment of more than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships spread across waters off Taiwan, the South China Sea and the open Pacific. In the same stretch, Taiwan's defence ministry recorded a large jump in Chinese air force aircraft around the island.
Beijing has announced no drills, and its defence ministry did not respond quickly to questions about Koo's remarks. Last month, however, it described the Liaoning's Pacific training as an annual routine, meant to test long-range combat at sea and aimed at no particular country.
Area denial is a precise idea. It means keeping an outside force from intervening in a fight. Around Taiwan, that would mean stopping the United States or allies from coming to the island's defence should Beijing attack. Koo said the exercises aim to erode peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan's response, he said, is continuous watch, using joint surveillance and reconnaissance and sharing intelligence with partners.
The backdrop is familiar and unresolved. Beijing regards the self-governed island as its territory and has never renounced force, though it speaks of "peaceful reunification." Taipei rejects those claims and insists its people alone will decide their future.
The timing is pointed. Next week, Trump and Xi are expected to meet again at the APEC summit in Shenzhen. At month's end, Taiwan votes in local elections. What China does next, whether it formally names these drills and what the summit yields, will shape how this episode is remembered.
Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo stood before reporters at parliament on Tuesday and said plainly what his ministry had been watching for days: China has been running "area denial" drills in the Western Pacific, built around the carrier Liaoning and accompanied by other naval training formations.
The statement follows a run of reports about rising Chinese activity. Last week, Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, posted on his X account details of the 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. In the same week, Taiwan's defence ministry reported a large increase in the number of Chinese air force aircraft around the island.
China has not formally declared any drills. Its defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Koo's remarks. But 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.
The term Koo used has a specific meaning. Anti-access/area denial, known as A2AD, refers to keeping an outside force from intervening in a conflict. In the Taiwan context, that means preventing the United States or other allied forces from coming to Taipei's aid if Beijing were to attack. Koo said the exercises are intended to undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
He said Taiwan's military is keeping close watch. According to Koo, it will use joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance means, and will exchange intelligence with allies, to monitor the activity continuously and respond appropriately.
China sends warplanes and warships into the skies and waters around Taiwan on a regular basis. Beijing views the democratically governed island as its own territory. It has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, though it says it would prefer "peaceful reunification". Taiwan's government rejects those sovereignty claims and says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.
The timing sits between two events. Next week, the APEC summit in Shenzhen is expected to bring US President Donald Trump together with Chinese President Xi Jinping again. And at the end of this month, Taiwan holds local elections. Whether China declares the drills, and what the summit produces, are the things to watch next.
Citas Notables
China has indeed conducted area denial drills in the Western Pacific with the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations.— Wellington Koo, Taiwan Defence Minister
The Liaoning's western Pacific training is an annual routine testing long-range, open-ocean combat capabilities and not directed at any particular country.— China's defence ministry, last month (paraphrased)
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