Taiwanese authorities have revealed that China conducted large-scale, unannounced naval exercises in the Western Pacific and around the island of Taiwan, involving dozens of naval and military assets, in a move Taipei described as an attempt to exert strategic pressure without an official announcement of major military drills.
According to a report published by Reuters today, Friday, November 13, 2026, the exercises took place during the first days of this month and included a massive deployment of Chinese naval forces and coast guard vessels, with the number of ships participating in one phase of the operation exceeding one hundred.
The agency quoted a senior Taiwanese security official, who requested anonymity, as saying that the military activities included simulated attacks on military forces, facilities, and urban areas, including hypothetical targets in Taiwan.
The official noted that the scale of the naval deployment exceeded the Chinese exercises known as
«Justice Mission 2025»
, which were among the most prominent previous drills related to the island.
The maneuvers also involved formations from Chinese operational commands in the eastern, northern, and southern regions, reflecting a level of coordination between military units operating in different geographical zones.
The activities included the deployment of naval groups associated with the Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning," alongside increased air activity in the region. According to Taiwanese data, the number of deployed naval vessels had decreased to about seventy by Friday, while military movements continue to be monitored.
Taiwanese authorities believe these drills may reflect preparations to test capabilities for imposing a naval blockade or preventing the arrival of external forces in specific areas of the Western Pacific, though this interpretation remains a Taiwanese military assessment rather than a Chinese announcement of intent to carry out an actual blockade.
The exercises come at a sensitive time ahead of upcoming international meetings, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, where China-US relations and the future of regional security are expected to be among the topics discussed.
Conversely, Beijing describes some of its naval movements as routine military activities and maintains its position that Taiwan is part of its territory, while the island's elected authorities emphasize their refusal to submit to Chinese sovereignty.
This military deployment highlights the scale of strategic competition in East Asia, where military considerations intersect with commercial interests and the security of maritime corridors, making any miscalculation or field friction a potential source for wider escalation.
It should be noted that the exercises themselves took place in early November, while their details were revealed in the press report published this Friday.
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