On a Tuesday in Taipei, Taiwan's defence minister Wellington Koo told parliament that China is running what he calls 'area denial' drills across the Western Pacific, with the carrier Liaoning and other naval formations at the centre. It is a reading of distant water and open sea, a way of asking who could arrive in time to help if the island were ever pressed. The old question of whether a powerful neighbour can hold the ocean around a contested island, and whether others will dare to cross it, is once again being asked in public, while Beijing has yet to offer its own account.
Taiwan Says China Is Running 'Area Denial' Drills in Western Pacific With Carrier Group
Keeping outside forces from coming to Taipei's aid
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 if Beijing attacked. Koo is saying the exercise rehearses that, not just that ships are at sea.
Luke
But that's Koo's characterisation. Has China confirmed it?
Mimi
No. China's defence ministry didn't immediately respond, and China hasn't formally declared any drills.
Mark
What has China said about the Liaoning?
Mimi
Last month it called the carrier's western Pacific training an annual routine testing long-range, open-ocean combat, not aimed at any country.
Luke
So two descriptions of possibly the same activity. Worth noting that the 100-plus ships figure comes from Joseph Wu's post, and the aircraft increase from Taiwan's defence ministry. All Taiwanese sources.
Mark
Does the timing matter?
Mimi
It sits before the APEC summit in Shenzhen, where Trump and Xi are expected to meet, and before Taiwan's local elections at the end of the month.
Luke
Timing is context, though, not proof of intent. The reporting doesn't say Beijing is aiming at either event.
Mark
What is Taiwan doing about it?
Mimi
Koo says it will monitor using joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, share intelligence with allies, and respond appropriately. He didn't say what a response would look like.
Der Puls
- Taiwan's defence minister says China is massing a carrier group and wider naval units in the Western Pacific, and Taipei is treating it as a signal, not a routine exercise.
- Over a hundred Chinese naval and coast guard ships are reported around Taiwan, the South China Sea and the open Pacific, and air force sorties have surged.
- The stated purpose is to keep US and allied forces from intervening should Beijing attack, a tension Taipei frames as a threat to regional peace.
- Beijing has not responded to the characterisation, having earlier called the Liaoning's training an annual, non-targeted routine.
- Taiwan says it will track the activity with allied intelligence and respond, as the Shenzhen APEC summit and Taiwan's local elections approach.
On a Tuesday in Taipei, Taiwan's defence minister Wellington Koo told parliament that China is running what he calls 'area denial' drills across the Western Pacific, with the carrier Liaoning and other naval formations at the centre. It is a reading of distant water and open sea, a way of asking who could arrive in time to help if the island were ever pressed. The old question of whether a powerful neighbour can hold the ocean around a contested island, and whether others will dare to cross it, is once again being asked in public, while Beijing has yet to offer its own account.
On Tuesday, Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo stood before reporters at parliament in Taipei and described what he sees at sea: China running 'area denial' drills in the Western Pacific, with the Liaoning carrier group and other naval units at the heart of them. His words came after a week of disclosures, including figures from Joseph Wu of the National Security Council about more than 100 Chinese naval and coast guard ships spread from waters around Taiwan to the South China Sea and beyond, and a sharp rise in Chinese air force flights around the island.
The phrase carries a precise meaning. Anti-access/area denial is a strategy for making it too costly for outside powers, such as the United States or its allies, to enter a conflict. Applied to Taiwan, Koo's warning is that such drills could keep help from reaching Taipei if Beijing moved against it. China has not formally announced any exercises, and its defence ministry had not replied to requests for comment. Earlier, it had described the Liaoning's western Pacific training as a yearly routine, not aimed at any country.
The timing matters. An APEC summit in Shenzhen is expected to bring Donald Trump and Xi Jinping together next week, and Taiwan votes in local elections at the end of the month. Koo said Taiwan's military is watching closely, using joint surveillance and sharing intelligence with partners, and will respond as needed. Beneath all of it lies a long dispute: Beijing has never ruled out force to bring Taiwan under its control, even while promising 'peaceful reunification', while Taipei insists that only its people can decide their future. What happens in the days ahead, and whether Beijing answers Koo, will show how close these waters have come to a new test.
On Tuesday, speaking to reporters at parliament in Taipei, Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo said China is running what he called "area denial" drills in the Western Pacific. By his account, the exercises involve the Liaoning aircraft carrier group and other naval training formations. His statement followed reports of a rise in Chinese military activity around the island.
The term has a specific meaning. Anti-access/area denial, known as 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. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, regularly sends warplanes and warships into the skies and waters around the island.
The minister's remarks came after a series of disclosures the previous week. Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, posted details on his X account about 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. Taiwan's defence ministry separately reported a large increase in the number of Chinese air force aircraft around the island. China has not formally declared any drills.
Beijing's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Koo's characterisation. It had spoken about the Liaoning the month before, saying the carrier's training in the western Pacific was an annual routine meant to test long-range, open-ocean combat capabilities, and that it was not directed at any particular country.
The timing sits between two political events. Next week, the APEC summit in Shenzhen is expected to bring US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping together again. At the end of this month, Taiwan holds local elections.
Koo said the military is watching closely. "We believe that this kind of military deterrence is intended to undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," he said. He added that Taiwan will use joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance means, and exchange intelligence with allies, to keep monitoring the activity and respond appropriately.
The backdrop is long-standing. China 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 Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.
What to watch next: whether Beijing responds to Koo's description, and what the Chinese ships and aircraft do in the days before the Shenzhen summit and the Taiwanese vote.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
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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