Mainland China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) held large-scale military exercises around Taiwan and in the western Pacific earlier this month without announcing them in advance. A Taiwanese official described the drills as an act of “silent intimidation” by Beijing to pressure Taiwan and other governments ahead of a major international meeting.
Reuters quoted a senior Taiwanese security official, who requested anonymity, as saying that more than 100 PLA Navy and mainland Chinese coast guard vessels were operating in the western Pacific at one point earlier this month. The exercises included simulated attacks on military forces and cities in Taiwan and elsewhere. The deployment exceeded the scale of the “Justice Mission—2025” military drills around Taiwan late last year.
Mainland China will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in Shenzhen next week, when US President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold their third meeting this year. Taiwan is also an APEC member.
The official said that during the latest round of exercises, a PLA submarine also launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Yellow Sea towards mainland Chinese territory. “It is a silent exercise — and in effect, silent intimidation.”
He said: “This is like a robber hiding a gun in the pocket of a coat — with the muzzle pointed at the bank teller. It scares the teller into handing over the money, while avoiding setting off the alarm and bringing in a large police response.”
The official noted that the exercises involved coordinated naval operations by the Eastern, Northern and Southern Theatre Commands. Judging by their scale, the PLA appeared to be rehearsing not only a blockade of Taiwan but also broader operations across the western Pacific, while attempting to integrate its regional fleets into a unified force for operations in distant waters.
However, two Taiwanese security officials said the mainland’s navy had scaled back its deployment this week, with about 70 vessels operating within the first island chain on Friday (13 November).
Taiwan’s National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu wrote on social media platform X on Thursday (12 November) that although vessel numbers had fallen, formations from the Northern, Eastern and Southern Theatre Commands, as well as the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group, were still operating in waters east of the Philippines. PLA Air Force activity near Taiwan also remained frequent.
A foreign intelligence source said Beijing had deliberately chosen not to announce the “silent drills without a name” to exert military pressure while avoiding a diplomatic backlash. He also noted that weather conditions were usually relatively stable towards the end of the year, a period when mainland China routinely held military exercises.
