China’s Navy Is Shifting Pressure Beyond the Taiwan Strait
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- China's PLA conducted four joint combat readiness patrols around Taiwan on May 1, 6, 19, and 25, a frequency unusually high compared with recent years.
- Chinese naval forces deployed more than 100 vessels around the First Island Chain, expanding the maritime presence beyond Taiwan.
- Liaoning carrier strike group entered waters about 880 km southwest of Okinotorishima on May 25, accompanied by the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi, Type 052D destroyer Kaifeng, Type 054B frigate Luohe, and Type 901 fast combat support ship Hulunhu, indicating an extended far‑seas mission.
- Type 075 amphibious assault ship formation transited the Miyako Strait on May 22, showing PLA’s blue‑water operational reach.
- Eastern Theater Command increased the frequency of joint patrols but has not launched large‑scale Taiwan‑focused exercises like Joint Sword or Strait Thunder, suggesting a strategic shift toward the East China Sea and South China Sea.
Why it matters: Japan faces heightened maritime risk as Chinese carrier groups operate near its territorial waters, potentially prompting increased U.S. naval deployments and raising defense spending in the region.
