Taiwan has raised concerns over the presence of 53 Chinese naval and government vessels operating across waters stretching from southern Japan to Taiwan and east of the Philippines. On October 28, 2026, Taiwan's National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu released a map showing the reported positions of the vessels, including 34 naval warships and China's aircraft carrier Liaoning. Wu described the simultaneous military presence near the three territories as an obvious security threat.

According to Taiwan's National Security Council, the Liaoning aircraft carrier and its accompanying naval group were positioned east of the Philippines, while other Chinese vessels were operating east and southeast of Taiwan and off southern Japan. Taiwan has increased its monitoring and public reporting of Chinese naval and coast guard movements. Wu said Taiwanese authorities remained vigilant as they continued assessing military activities across the region.

China\'s Ministry of National Defense maintained that the Liaoning\'s operations in the western Pacific were part of routine annual training exercises intended to assess long-range and open-ocean combat capabilities. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stated on October 29 that the exercises were not directed against any particular country. Meanwhile, Japan\'s Defense Ministry reported tracking three Chinese warships and one coast guard vessel passing through the Osumi Strait near Kyushu on October 27 before entering the Pacific Ocean.

Taiwan\'s Defense Minister Wellington Koo expressed concern that military activities intended to demonstrate deterrence could undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. He said Taiwan continued monitoring Chinese naval movements and exchanging intelligence with its partners. The developments come amid continuing maritime and territorial tensions involving China, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines, particularly in the South China Sea and surrounding waters.