China has deployed an unusually large number of naval and coast guard vessels across East Asian waters, with more than 100 ships operating at one point in its biggest maritime show of force to date, according to regional security sources and intelligence reports reviewed by Reuters.
Rising Tensions Amid Diplomatic Frictions
The manoeuvres come during China’s traditionally busy military exercise season, though the People’s Liberation Army has not announced any formally named large-scale drills. The surge in activity coincides with a sharp diplomatic rift between Beijing and Tokyo after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned last month that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Japan.
Beijing also reacted angrily to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s recent decision to allocate an additional $40 billion for defence spending to deter China, which continues to regard the self-ruled island as part of its territory.
Widespread Naval Presence
According to four security officials in the region, Chinese vessels have been operating across a vast area stretching from the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea down into the contested South China Sea and further into the Pacific Ocean. Intelligence documents from one regional government, reviewed by Reuters, corroborated the deployment details on condition of anonymity.
As of Thursday morning, over 90 Chinese ships remained active in the area, down from more than 100 earlier in the week. These operations surpass a major naval mobilisation last December that had led Taiwan to raise its alert levels.
Tsai Ming-yen, head of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, said China was entering its most active period for drills, noting that four naval formations were currently operating in the western Pacific. Taiwan, he added, was closely monitoring the situation and preparing for potential new exercises aimed at the island before year’s end.
Regional Reactions and Strategic Signals
China’s defence and foreign ministries, along with its Taiwan Affairs Office, did not respond to requests for comment. Taiwan’s Presidential Office assured that it maintained a full, real-time grasp of developments in the Taiwan Strait and broader region. Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taipei was working with international partners to prevent unilateral actions that could endanger regional stability.
A regional security official said Beijing began expanding its deployments after summoning Japan’s ambassador on 14 November to protest Takaichi’s remarks. “This goes far beyond China’s national defence needs and creates risks for all sides,” the official said, suggesting Beijing was testing regional responses with the unprecedented mobilisation.
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces refrained from commenting on specific Chinese movements but acknowledged that Beijing appeared intent on strengthening its capacity for long-range maritime and air operations.
Routine or Risk?
Some of the Chinese vessels reportedly conducted mock attacks on foreign ships and rehearsed access-denial operations to block outside reinforcements in a conflict scenario. Two regional sources said neighbouring countries were tracking developments closely but had not assessed any imminent threat.
“There’s a big outing,” one source said. “But apparently just routine exercises.”
Despite the scale of China’s activity, intelligence reports indicated that the number of vessels near Taiwan itself had not risen sharply. China’s last officially named war game around Taiwan, “Strait Thunder-2025,” took place in April. It has not confirmed whether December’s mass deployment included any formal drills.
(with inputs from Reuters)
