On a Tuesday in Taipei, Taiwan's defence minister put a name to a pattern the island's officials had been sensing for days: China, he said, is running 'area denial' exercises across the Western Pacific, with its Liaoning carrier group at the center. Such drills are less about any single ship than about the question of who may enter a contested sea, and in this case the question is whether American and allied forces could reach Taiwan at all in a crisis. Beijing, which has not declared an exercise and calls its training routine, has offered no reply yet. Whether this swell of activity recedes o
Taiwan Says China Is Running 'Area Denial' Drills in Western Pacific Involving Carrier Group
Koo's choice of words pointed at a specific scenario
Mark
Why does the phrase 'area denial' matter more than just saying '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 chose a term that points at that scenario.
Mark
And the scale? There's a number floating around.
Mimi
More than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships, posted by Joseph Wu of Taiwan's National Security Council. They were off Taiwan, in the South China Sea, and into the Pacific.
Luke
Worth noting that figure comes from Taiwanese officials. The source doesn't say it was independently verified, and it covers a wide geography, not one cluster of ships.
Mark
What does China say?
Mimi
Last month its defence ministry called the Liaoning's western Pacific training an annual routine testing long-range, open-ocean combat, not aimed at any country. It hasn't formally declared any drills.
Luke
So there are two readings of one deployment. Koo's 'area denial' label is Taiwan's characterization. China hasn't responded to it yet, and the reporting doesn't tell us how this year compares in detail.
Mark
Why does the timing matter?
Mimi
Trump and Xi are expected to meet at APEC in Shenzhen next week, and Taiwan holds local elections at month's end.
Luke
Timing is context, not proof of intent. Nothing in the reporting says Beijing scheduled this around either event.
Mark
What's confirmed going forward?
Mimi
Only that Taiwan says it will monitor with allies and respond appropriately. What that response looks like isn't specified.
Il Polso
- Taiwan's defence minister has publicly named China's activity as 'area denial' drills, a term that points at keeping outside forces away from the island.
- More than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships are reported operating near Taiwan, in the South China Sea and out into the Pacific.
- Chinese air force sorties around the island have risen sharply against an already busy backdrop of routine incursions.
- Beijing has declared no formal drills and calls the Liaoning's training an annual routine, leaving the gap between the two accounts unresolved.
- Taiwan says it is tracking the activity continuously with allied intelligence, while attention turns to the APEC summit in Shenzhen and Taiwan's local elections.
On a Tuesday in Taipei, Taiwan's defence minister put a name to a pattern the island's officials had been sensing for days: China, he said, is running 'area denial' exercises across the Western Pacific, with its Liaoning carrier group at the center. Such drills are less about any single ship than about the question of who may enter a contested sea, and in this case the question is whether American and allied forces could reach Taiwan at all in a crisis. Beijing, which has not declared an exercise and calls its training routine, has offered no reply yet. Whether this swell of activity recedes or deepens may depend on what happens in Shenzhen next week and at the polls at the end of the month.
On Tuesday, Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo told reporters in Taipei what the island's security officials had been hinting at for days. China, he said, is conducting "area denial" drills in the Western Pacific, involving the Liaoning carrier group and other naval formations.
The announcement follows a visible swell in Chinese activity. Last week, Joseph Wu of Taiwan's National Security Council published details of more than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships operating off Taiwan, in the South China Sea and out into the Pacific, while Taiwan's defence ministry reported a sharp rise in Chinese air force aircraft around the island. China regularly sends warships and warplanes near Taiwan, so this surge stands out even against a busy background.
The term Koo chose, anti-access/area denial, refers to efforts to stop outside powers from intervening in a conflict. Here, that means keeping the United States and other allies from coming to Taipei's aid if Beijing moved against the island, which makes his words a specific warning rather than general posturing.
Beijing has not commented on Koo's remarks. Last month it described the Liaoning's western Pacific training as an annual routine aimed at no particular country. Koo, for his part, said Taiwan is watching closely, calling the activity an effort to undermine regional peace, and will monitor it continuously with allied intelligence.
The timing is delicate. Next week's APEC summit in Shenzhen may bring Donald Trump and Xi Jinping together again, and Taiwan votes in local elections at the end of the month. The question now is whether the activity persists through those events and whether Beijing says anything more about the drills.
On Tuesday, Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo stood before reporters at parliament in Taipei and confirmed what the island's security officials had been hinting at for days. China, he said, is conducting "area denial" drills in the Western Pacific, involving the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations.
The confirmation follows a reported rise in Chinese activity around Taiwan. Last week, Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, posted on his X account details of deployments by 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 period, Taiwan's defence ministry reported a large increase in the number of Chinese air force aircraft around the island.
Beijing has not formally declared any drills. China, which regards democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, regularly sends warplanes and warships into the skies and waters around the island, so a surge is notable against a background that is already busy.
The term Koo used, anti-access/area denial, or A2AD, describes efforts to keep 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's choice of words therefore pointed at a specific scenario rather than at general saber-rattling.
China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Koo's remarks. Last month, however, it described the Liaoning carrier'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.
Koo said Taiwan's military was watching closely. He described the activity as military deterrence intended to undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan, he said, would use joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance means, and exchange intelligence with allies, to monitor the activities continuously and respond appropriately.
The timing sits between two political events. Next week, the APEC summit takes place in Shenzhen, where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping again. At the end of this month, Taiwan holds local elections.
The backdrop is long-standing. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, though it says it prefers "peaceful reunification." Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future. What to watch now is whether the activity continues through the Shenzhen summit and the island's elections, and whether Beijing says anything further about the drills.
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 Defence 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 defence ministry (paraphrased, statement last month)
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