China Stages Unannounced Pacific Drills in ‘Silent Intimidation’ of Taiwan, Officials Say

admin · November 13, 2026 · 7 min read

China's aircraft carrier Liaoning (CV-16) with a J-15 fighter jet preparing to land

China carried out a large, unannounced military exercise across the western Pacific and around Taiwan in early November, massing more than 100 warships and coast guard vessels at one point, officials in Taipei told Reuters, describing the campaign as a form of “silent intimidation” aimed at pressuring Taiwan and other governments ahead of major international meetings.

The drills, which Beijing never formally announced, were larger than “Justice Mission 2025,” China’s last formally named exercise targeting Taiwan nearly a year ago and one of the largest Chinese naval deployments to date, according to a senior Taiwan security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

More than 100 vessels, simulated attacks

The senior Taiwan security official said China’s military and coast guard had at one point massed more than 100 vessels in the region early this month, conducting drills that included simulated attacks on other militaries and cities, including Taiwan’s.

The exercise involved coordinated naval forces from China’s eastern, northern and southern theatre commands, a scale suggesting Beijing was rehearsing not only a Taiwan blockade scenario but broader operations across the western Pacific, and an effort to integrate regional fleets into a single far-seas operational force, the official said.

During the drills, a Chinese submarine also launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Yellow Sea into the Chinese mainland, the official said.

“It is a silent exercise — and in effect, silent intimidation,” the official told Reuters, adding: “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.”

China’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Beijing has said the carrier involved is on “routine” exercises that are not directed at any country, and China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Taiwan confirms area-denial drills

Taiwan’s defence ministry referred Reuters to comments made this week by Defence Minister Wellington Koo, who said China was carrying out “area denial” drills in the western Pacific involving an aircraft carrier and other naval formations.

“China has indeed conducted area denial drills in the Western Pacific with the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training formations,” Koo told reporters in parliament on Tuesday, November 10. Anti-access and area denial refers to keeping an outside force from intervening in a conflict — in the Taiwan context, stopping the United States or allied forces from coming to Taipei’s aid if Beijing attacks.

A foreign intelligence source told Reuters the “silent drills without a name” appeared deliberate, allowing Beijing to apply military pressure while avoiding a diplomatic backlash. The latter part of the year, when the weather is typically calmer, is when China normally carries out drills, the source said.

Deployment easing, but ships remain

The scale of China’s naval deployment has decreased this week, with around 70 vessels operating within the first island chain on Friday, according to two Taiwan security officials.

Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu posted details of the latest deployments on X late on Thursday, saying that while the number of vessels had decreased, “the groups of Northern, Eastern & Southern Theater Commands plus Liaoning carrier strike group remain operating in waters east of the Philippines.” He added that Chinese air force activity also remained high near Taiwan.

China’s widely read state-backed newspaper, the Global Times, said on Friday that if Taiwan’s ruling party persists in “seeking ‘independence by relying on external forces or military means,’ dragging the residents of Taiwan onto their war chariot, they will inevitably face a harsh reckoning.”

Xi urges peaceful reunification, omits force

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday gave a major policy speech about Taiwan, urging peaceful “reunification” though making no mention of using force.

The speech came as Beijing prepares to host the APEC leaders’ summit in Shenzhen next week, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi are expected to meet for the third time this year. Taiwan also attends APEC.

Background: five years of rising pressure

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up its military pressure over the past five years, drawing condemnation from Taipei and heightening concern in Western capitals about the potential for conflict.

Earlier this week, G7 foreign ministers warned that China’s increasingly assertive activities in waters east of Taiwan “threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation and the safety of international shipping,” in their strongest unified expression of concern to date. Taiwan’s presidential office welcomed that statement.

Why this matters

The drills show Beijing testing a quieter form of coercion: a display large enough to alarm Taiwan and its partners, but without a name or public announcement, so it draws less diplomatic pushback than a declared exercise.

For the United States, the exercise is a reminder of the stakes around Taiwan. U.S. forces in the Pacific are the main deterrent to a blockade or attack, and the “area denial” character of the drills — practising how to keep outside forces away — is aimed squarely at that deterrent.

For Taiwan, the message is that pressure continues even as it prepares for APEC and local elections later in November. For regional governments, the deployment signals that Beijing is rehearsing operations far beyond the Taiwan Strait itself.

Latest developments

Around 70 Chinese vessels were still operating within the first island chain on Friday, November 13, down from more than 100 at the peak, according to two Taiwan security officials.
The Liaoning carrier strike group and forces from all three of China’s theatre commands remained operating in waters east of the Philippines as of late Thursday, according to Taiwan’s National Security Council chief.
Chinese air force activity near Taiwan remained high, Joseph Wu said.
The APEC leaders’ summit opens in Shenzhen next week, with a Trump–Xi meeting expected.

Frequently asked questions

What are the “silent drills” China staged near Taiwan?

They were large, unannounced Chinese military exercises across the western Pacific and around Taiwan in early November, involving more than 100 naval and coast guard vessels at their peak. Because Beijing never formally announced them, officials in Taipei describe them as “silent intimidation.”

How large was the Chinese deployment?

At one point, China’s military and coast guard massed more than 100 vessels in the region, according to a senior Taiwan security official. That made the deployment larger than “Justice Mission 2025,” China’s last formally named Taiwan drills nearly a year ago. By Friday, the number had fallen to around 70 vessels within the first island chain.

What did Xi Jinping say about Taiwan this week?

In a major policy speech on Thursday, Xi urged peaceful “reunification” with Taiwan and made no mention of using force. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Why is the timing significant?

The drills came just before the APEC leaders’ summit in Shenzhen next week, where Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet for the third time this year. Taiwan officials described the exercise as pressure applied ahead of major international meetings.

What to watch next

All eyes are now on the APEC summit in Shenzhen, where Trump and Xi are expected to meet, and on whether China scales down its naval presence further or stages another round of drills. Taiwan’s defence ministry says it will keep tracking the activity with support from partner countries. Any new announcement from Beijing — or silence — will be read closely in Taipei, Washington and across the region.