Key facts
- Over 50 Chinese navy and official vessels are operating in a wide area from southern Japan to Taiwan and off the Philippines.
- Taiwan's National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu described the threat as "obvious".
- The Chinese deployment includes 34 navy warships and the aircraft carrier Liaoning.
- Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo expressed concern over attempts to undermine regional peace and stability.
China has more than 50 navy and other official vessels operating in a wide swathe of sea stretching from southern Japan down to Taiwan and off the Philippines, a senior Taiwan official said on Wednesday, calling the threat level "obvious". Joseph Wu, the secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, posted a map on X showing the locations of 53 ships, including 34 navy warships and the aircraft carrier Liaoning. The carrier and its accompanying battle group were positioned to the east of the Philippines, with other formations off Taiwan's east and southeast, and three off the southern coast of Japan. Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Thursday that his ministry was maintaining awareness of Chinese warship activity and expressed unhappiness with any attempts to project deterrence that could undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. China's defence ministry stated this month that the Liaoning was engaged in routine training not directed at any specific country.