'Silent intimidation' from China to Taiwan: More than 100 warships in the Pacific

China reportedly conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan and in the Western Pacific in early November without making any public statements.

Speaking to Reuters, a senior Taiwanese security official announced that the Chinese army and coast guard units deployed more than 100 ships in the region at the same time. It was stated that simulated attacks were carried out against military elements and cities of various countries, including Taiwan, during the drills.

The official, who did not want to be identified, described the operation as a "silent intimidation" aimed at putting pressure on Taiwan and other governments ahead of international meetings.

"ONE OF THE LARGEST MARINE DEPLOYMENTS"

According to the Taiwanese official, the military activity in November surpassed the "Justice Mission 2025" operation, which was the last major exercise that China carried out targeting Taiwan about a year ago and called it officially.

In this respect, the latest exercise is considered one of the largest naval force deployments China has ever carried out.

China has significantly increased its military activities around Taiwan over the past five years. The Beijing administration sees Taiwan, which has a democratic government system, as part of its territory.

Increasing military pressure provokes a reaction from Taipei, while also strengthening concerns in Western capitals about a possible China-Taiwan conflict.

"BALLISTIC MISSILE WAS LAUNCHED FROM SUBMARINE"

The Taiwanese security official also claimed that during the recent exercises, a Chinese submarine launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Yellow Sea towards the Chinese mainland.

The official pointed out that the operation was not announced in advance and made the following assessment:

"A silent intimidation..."

China's Ministry of Defense did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.

CHINA'S PACIFIC EXERCISES

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense referred Reuters to comments made by Defense Minister Wellington Koo earlier in the week.

Koo reported that China conducted "access denial and control of the region" exercises in the Western Pacific with the participation of an aircraft carrier and other naval forces.

This strategy, known as anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) in military terminology, aims to make it difficult for rival forces to enter or operate freely in a particular area.

Such operations are especially important in scenarios aimed at limiting the military intervention capacity of the United States and its allies during a possible conflict around Taiwan.

'PEACEFUL UNIFICATION' MESSAGE FROM Xi

While military activity continues, Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important political speech on Taiwan on Thursday.

While Xi called for "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, he did not mention the use of force in his speech.

However, the Beijing administration maintains its stance that Taiwan is an integral part of China.

The fact that China's military activities and Xi's diplomatic messages coincided in the same period brought to the agenda evaluations that Beijing was continuing its pressure on Taiwan through different tools.

Remarkable activity before Trump and Xi summit

China's drills took place ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit, which Beijing will host in Shenzhen next week.

At the summit, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet for the third time this year.

The military activity before the meeting, which Taiwan will also attend, raised the question of whether China's show of power in the region contained a diplomatic message.

A foreign intelligence source speaking to Reuters stated that it may have been a conscious choice for China to carry out the drills without giving an official name and without announcing them to the public.

According to the source, this method allows Beijing to apply military pressure while avoiding harsh diplomatic responses.

The same source also pointed out that China generally conducts its large-scale military exercises in the second half of the year, when weather conditions are more favorable.