China’s Unannounced Western Pacific Drills: Over 100 Vessels Deployed Around Taiwan

The news

China carried out a large, unannounced military exercise across the western Pacific and around Taiwan in early November 2026, in what officials in Taipei described as a campaign of “silent intimidation” aimed at pressuring Taiwan and other governments before major international meetings. A senior Taiwan security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China’s military and coast guard had at one point massed more than 100 vessels in the region, conducting drills that included simulated attacks on other militaries and cities including Taiwan’s.

The naval deployment was larger than “Justice Mission 2025”, China’s last formally named drills targeting Taiwan nearly a year ago, the official said. The drills involved coordinated forces from China’s Eastern, Northern and Southern Theater Commands, a scale that suggested Beijing was rehearsing not only a Taiwan blockade scenario but broader operations across the western Pacific, the official added. Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo described the activity as “area denial” drills involving an aircraft carrier and other naval formations. China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, said the carrier was on “routine” exercises not directed at any country.

During the latest drills, a Chinese submarine also launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Yellow Sea into the Chinese mainland, the official said. A foreign intelligence source said the “silent drills without a name”, given the lack of a public announcement by China, appeared deliberate, allowing Beijing to apply military pressure while avoiding a diplomatic backlash. The drills come as China has stepped up its military pressure over the past five years, drawing condemnation from Taipei and heightening concern in Western capitals about the potential for conflict. Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 12 gave a major policy speech about Taiwan, urging peaceful “reunification” though making no mention of using force.

What was the scale and composition of the drills?

The deployment peaked at more than 100 Chinese military and coast guard vessels, according to a senior Taiwan security official. By November 13, around 70 vessels remained within the first island chain, two Taiwan security officials said. Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu posted on X that formations from the Northern, Eastern and Southern Theater Commands plus the Liaoning carrier strike group remained operating in waters east of the Philippines. Chinese air force activity also remained high near Taiwan.

What did the drills signal about China’s strategy?

A Taiwan security official assessed that coordination among three Chinese theater commands suggested rehearsal for both a Taiwan blockade and wider western Pacific operations, as well as China’s effort to integrate regional fleets into a single far-seas operational force. A foreign intelligence source assessed that the absence of a public announcement could allow China to exert pressure while limiting diplomatic backlash. These interpretations describe possible objectives, not confirmed Chinese operational plans. China’s widely read state-backed paper, the Global Times, said on November 13 that if Taiwan’s ruling party persists in seeking independence by relying on external forces, residents of Taiwan will face a harsh reckoning.

What is the international context of the drills?

The drills preceded the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ summit in Shenzhen, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were expected to meet for the third time in 2026. Taiwan also attends APEC. China has increased military pressure over the past five years, drawing condemnation from Taipei and heightening concern in Western capitals about the potential for conflict. China has not renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, although President Xi called for peaceful reunification on November 12.