Taiwan says China is conducting 'area denial' drills in Western Pacific

China is carrying out "area denial" drills in the Western Pacific involving one of its aircraft carriers and other naval formations, Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Tuesday, following a reported rise in Chinese activities.



China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, regularly sends its warplanes and warships into the skies and waters around the island.



Last week, Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu posted on his X account details of the deployments of more than 100 Chinese naval and Coast Guard ships operating off Taiwan, in the South China Sea, and into the Pacific.



Taiwan's defence ministry last week also reported a large rise in the number of Chinese air force aircraft around Taiwan, though China has not formally declared any drills.



Anti-access/area denial, or A2AD, refers to keeping an outside force from intervening in a conflict, which in the Taiwan context means stopping US or other allied forces from coming to Taipei's aid should Beijing attack.