Taiwan says 53 Chinese ships, including 34 warships, operate from Japan to the Philippines

A map of 53 vessels

Taiwan's National Security Council secretary-general, Joseph Wu, posted a map on X on Wednesday, 28 October, showing the positions of 53 vessels spread across a wide area of sea. Of these, 34 are navy warships, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, and the other 19 are state vessels such as coast guard ships and ships from other agencies, according to Taiwan's government. Wu said the threat was obvious and applied to Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines at the same time. Taiwan is stepping up efforts to publish details and maps showing where Chinese warships and Coast Guard vessels operate, and Wu had posted a similar map on X in May.

“We're staying vigilant about their activities. The simultaneous threat to Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines is obvious.”

Navy warships34

Other state vessels19

Navy warships

34 vessels

Other state vessels

19 vessels

Data from the article text

Positions across the first island chain

According to the map, the Liaoning and its battle group were east of the Philippines in the Philippine Sea, while other formations were east and southeast of Taiwan. Three ships were positioned off the southern coast of Japan. Taiwanese reporting by the news agency CNA also placed Chinese warships northwest and southwest of Taiwan, and the vessels are operating in different waters rather than in one formation directly off the island. Japan's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that it had tracked three Chinese warships and a Coast Guard ship on Tuesday, 27 October, as they moved from the Osumi Strait into the Pacific. The defence ministries of China, the Philippines and Japan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Beijing's position and Taipei's response

China's defence ministry said in October that the Liaoning was taking part in a routine training exercise not aimed at any specific country. Wellington Koo, Taiwan's defence minister, spoke to reporters at parliament in Taipei on 29 October and put Taipei's position plainly.

“We are not happy to see any attempt to project deterrence that could undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Koo said his ministry was keeping an appropriate level of awareness of Chinese warship activity and exchanging intelligence with partners. China's ties with Japan and the Philippines have soured in recent months. Beijing has been upset by renewed Japanese support for Taiwan, and it is locked in a bitter standoff with Manila in the South China Sea. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, although it says it would prefer peaceful reunification.

What to watch

A senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters that authorities were watching whether the carrier group keeps heading north toward Japan after its drills in the Philippine Sea. Such a move, the official said, would suggest a stronger intent to increase pressure on Japan's defence posture. The 53-vessel count comes from Taiwan's own map, while Japan separately confirmed tracking three warships and a Coast Guard ship on 27 October.