China Taiwan Military Drills: Beijing Masses 100-Plus Vessels in Pacific

China has staged a large, unannounced military exercise across the western Pacific and around Taiwan, massing more than 100 vessels at its peak in what officials in Taipei described as a campaign of "silent intimidation" aimed at pressuring the island and other governments.

The deployment, revealed by Taiwan security officials to Reuters on Friday, November 13, 2026, was larger than "Justice Mission 2025", China's last named exercise targeting Taiwan nearly a year ago. The drills included simulated attacks on other militaries and cities, including Taiwan's, and a submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile fired from the Yellow Sea, a senior Taiwan security official said.

The scale has eased this week, with around 70 vessels inside the first island chain on Friday, two Taiwan security officials said. The theatre-command groups and the Liaoning carrier group remain east of the Philippines, Joseph Wu said on Thursday. The exercises come days before Beijing hosts the APEC leaders' summit in Shenzhen, where Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet for the third time this year.

Key Points

• China massed more than 100 military and coast guard vessels around Taiwan and across the western Pacific in early November, in an exercise Taipei calls "silent intimidation".
• The drills included simulated attacks on other militaries and cities, including Taiwan's, and a submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile from the Yellow Sea.
• The deployment was larger than "Justice Mission 2025", China's last named Taiwan drills nearly a year ago, and one of the largest Chinese naval deployments to date.
• Forces from China's eastern, northern and southern theatre commands took part with the Liaoning carrier strike group, suggesting rehearsals for a Taiwan blockade and wider Pacific operations.
• The scale has eased to about 70 vessels inside the first island chain, even as Xi Jinping urged peaceful "reunification" and Beijing prepares to host the APEC summit.

What Happened

China carried out the exercise without any public announcement, and Taipei only described its full scale after it was largely over. A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters it was a campaign of "silent intimidation", designed to pressure Taiwan and other governments without the fanfare of a named exercise.

At its height, China's military and coast guard massed more than 100 vessels. The drills included simulated attacks on other militaries and cities, including Taiwan's, and a Chinese submarine launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Yellow Sea into the Chinese mainland.

The deployment drew on naval forces from China's eastern, northern and southern theatre commands, with the Liaoning carrier strike group, suggesting rehearsals for a Taiwan blockade and wider Pacific operations. By Friday the scale had eased to around 70 vessels inside the first island chain, though the Liaoning group remained east of the Philippines, Joseph Wu said on Thursday.

Background: A Year After Justice Mission 2025

China's last formally named exercise aimed at Taiwan was "Justice Mission 2025", nearly a year ago. The new operation was larger than that exercise and, by Taipei's account, one of the largest Chinese naval deployments to date.

The difference this time was the silence. Beijing issued no announcement, gave the drills no name and offered no public explanation. Taiwan's officials said the quiet approach was itself the message: pressure without a declaration, leaving neighbours to read intent from the ships.

Taiwan is a self-governed island democracy that Beijing claims as its own territory. The United States, Taiwan's main arms supplier, opposes any unilateral change to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, so every large Chinese deployment is a test of resolve in Washington, Taipei and across the region.

China Taiwan Military Drills: What the Deployment Shows

The size and shape of the operation point to more than a routine training run. Bringing together three theatre commands and a carrier strike group is the coordination a blockade or a wider regional conflict would demand, and the simulated attacks suggest the exercise rehearsed offensive scenarios, not just sailing in formation.

The submarine missile launch adds another layer, linking China's nuclear deterrent to its conventional pressure campaign. By keeping the drills unannounced, Beijing could apply maximum pressure while leaving room to deny that anything extraordinary had happened, an ambiguity that may itself be the point.

Reactions and Quotes

Taiwan's security officials were blunt about the exercise. A senior official described it to Reuters as a campaign of "silent intimidation" aimed at pressuring Taiwan and other governments before major international meetings.

Joseph Wu, Taiwan's National Security Council secretary-general, said on Thursday that the theatre-command groups and the Liaoning carrier group remained east of the Philippines, even as vessel numbers fell.

Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a major policy speech on Taiwan on Thursday, urging peaceful "reunification" and making no mention of using force. The speech offered no acknowledgement of the exercise itself, and Beijing has not publicly commented on the drills.

Why It Matters

The drills matter because of their scale, their silence and their timing. A deployment of more than 100 vessels shows China can mass overwhelming force around Taiwan at short notice, without giving neighbours time to prepare a response.

For Taiwan, the exercise is a reminder that pressure can arrive without warning and without a name. For the United States and its allies, it is a test of how quickly they can detect Chinese intentions when Beijing chooses not to declare them, with the APEC summit and a Trump-Xi meeting days away.

What Happens Next

Attention now turns to Shenzhen, where Beijing hosts the APEC leaders' summit next week. Trump and Xi are expected to meet for the third time this year, and the Taiwan drills are almost certain to shape the tone of that encounter.

Taiwan will keep watching the ships that remain. Around 70 vessels were still inside the first island chain on Friday, and the Liaoning group was still east of the Philippines. Whether those forces disperse after the summit or linger will show whether the pressure is easing or becoming the new normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did China do around Taiwan?

China staged a large, unannounced exercise across the western Pacific and around Taiwan in early November 2026, massing more than 100 vessels at its peak, with simulated attacks and a submarine missile launch.

Why is Taiwan calling it "silent intimidation"?

A senior Taiwan security official used the phrase because Beijing gave the drills no name and no public announcement, while deploying one of its largest naval forces ever.

How big were the drills compared with previous ones?

The deployment was larger than "Justice Mission 2025", China's last named Taiwan exercise nearly a year ago, and one of the largest Chinese naval deployments to date.

Are Chinese forces still near Taiwan?

The scale has eased, with around 70 vessels inside the first island chain on Friday, November 13, but the theatre-command groups and the Liaoning group remain east of the Philippines.

What happens next?

Beijing hosts the APEC leaders' summit in Shenzhen next week, where Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet for the third time this year.

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