Overview
- Intelligence reviewed by Reuters and four unnamed sources indicates China at one point deployed more than 100 navy and coast guard ships from the Yellow Sea through the East and South China Seas into the western Pacific.
- Taiwan says the operations span hundreds of kilometers and extend beyond the Taiwan Strait toward areas near the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands and into the Pacific, calling the activity significant without offering a vessel count.
- China has not confirmed specific details of the deployments, with a Defense Ministry spokesperson saying the high‑seas training complies with international law and is not directed at any country.
- Beijing’s Foreign Ministry urged parties to avoid overreaction, reiterating that China follows a defensive policy.
- The surge in maritime activity follows a diplomatic rift with Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi discussed a possible military response to a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan, and some details remain based on anonymous security and intelligence sources.