The first island chain has become a key arena for military competition between China and the US, with the PLA making progress in areas like dual-carrier operations and nuclear deterrence. The US and its allies are responding by expanding base access in the Philippines and conducting sophisticated defense drills.
An analysis in the Pacific Journal recommends Beijing strengthen inter-agency coordination and build credible deterrence to protect its maritime rights along the first island chain, which spans from the Kuril Islands to Borneo, including Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
China's CCTV aired footage of the DF-17 hypersonic missile launch, designed to deliver vehicles above Mach 5. Analysts suggest this strengthens Beijing's deterrent posture, potentially impacting regional missile balance and US strategies.
China's military has broadcast footage of a DF-17 missile launch for the first time, showing a live-fire exercise. The missile, first seen in 2019, was featured in a military news program ahead of the PLA Rocket Force's 60th anniversary.
美國近年對台態度已非單純助盟友，而是將台灣置於第一島鏈戰略核心，關乎美國國家利益。台海問題已演變為全球民主與威權體系競爭的一部分，台灣需自立自強提升國防，並警惕中國的認知作戰與滲透。
Japan and the Philippines have begun formal negotiations to delimit their maritime boundaries, a move that overlaps with Taiwan's exclusive economic zones and is viewed by Beijing as a challenge to its stance on Taiwan. Such bilateral agreements may lack legal weight for excluded claimants.
Media commentator Wu Ching-yi criticizes KMT Chair Johnny Chiang's call to abandon the 'first island chain' strategy, arguing it contradicts Taiwan's and US's Indo-Pacific security focus and appeases Beijing amid China's escalating 'gray zone' tactics.
South Korea plans to launch its first submarines powered by low-enriched uranium by the mid-2030s, with delivery to the Republic of Korea Navy by the late 2030s, ensuring a 30-year operational lifespan without nuclear weapons capability.
The Sanya naval complex, including Yulin Naval Base, is a key Chinese military facility. It hosts the carrier Shandong and is strategically important due to its location in the first island chain, facing US and allied pressure.
The Sanya naval complex, featuring Yulin Naval Base and hosting China's second carrier Shandong, is strategically vital due to its location in the first island chain, facing US and allied pressure. Qingdao is the homeport for the Liaoning and the North Sea Fleet.
Japan plans to station drones on Iwo Jima and Chichijima Island to provide real-time intelligence, addressing a surveillance "blind spot" amid increasing Chinese maritime activity in the western Pacific.
The People’s Liberation Army could use minelaying drones to blockade Japan and other waters in the strategic first island chain during a conflict over Taiwan, a mainland Chinese military magazine has suggested. The PLA’s strategy would see AJX002 drones used for “offensive minelaying” missions targeting Japan’s islands, including the Ryukyu archipelago, as well as the waters of the Philippines, according to an analysis in the latest edition of Shipborne Weapons. It comes as America’s blockade of...
