Taiwan spots Chinese carrier group running 'area denial' drills in Pacific

Defence Minister Wellington Koo told reporters at parliament on Tuesday that China has indeed conducted area denial drills in the Western Pacific with the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations. He said Taiwan's military is keeping a close watch on what Beijing is up to. In the Taiwan context, anti-access/area denial means blocking US or allied forces from reaching Taipei's aid if Beijing attacks.

The drills follow a very public surge. Last week, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu posted on X the deployments of more than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships operating off Taiwan, in the South China Sea and out into the Pacific. Taiwan's defence ministry also logged a large rise in Chinese air force aircraft around the island. Beijing has not formally declared any drills.

China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month it said the Liaoning's western Pacific training was an annual routine to test long-range, open-ocean combat capabilities and was not directed at any particular country.

The timing is loaded: the drills come ahead of the APEC summit in Shenzhen next week, where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping again, and Taiwan's local elections at the end of this month. Koo called the deterrence an attempt to undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. He said Taiwan would use joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance means and swap intelligence with allies to keep monitoring the activity.

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, saying only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.