China’s PLA Navy Expands Operations Meant to Intimidate Japan and the Philippines
On April 20, 2026, China deployed the aircraft carrier Liaoning through the Taiwan Strait into the South China Sea, while simultaneously dispatching a naval task group through the Yokoate Channel into the Western Pacific. Photo courtesy of China Military via People’s Daily.
Japan sent a clear signal in mid-April when one of its naval vessels passed through the Taiwan Strait, drawing a sharp response from China and setting off a series of military movements in the region.
On April 17, the destroyer JS Ikazuchi sailed through the strait, marking the fourth time a Japanese warship has made the passage since September 2024. It was also the first such move since Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae assumed office. The timing added fuel to Beijing’s reaction, as the date coincides with the anniversary of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, when China ceded Taiwan to Japan. Chinese state media criticized Tokyo for what it described as an insensitive and provocative choice.
China, which considers the Taiwan Strait to be its own internal waters rather than an আন্তর্জাতিক passage, condemned the transit and framed it as part of a broader security challenge. Officials in Beijing labeled the move a risky attempt at military interference, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterating that Taiwan remains a strict red line for China.
Japan’s action also highlighted its growing alignment with the United States on the principle of freedom of navigation. Washington maintains that ships from any nation have the right to pass through international waterways like the Taiwan Strait. This position is rooted in longstanding maritime norms reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which affirms that even within exclusive economic zones, countries cannot block lawful transit beyond their territorial waters.
The United States actively enforces this principle through its Freedom of Navigation Operations, regularly sending naval forces through contested waters. While Taiwan’s security is a major factor, the broader goal is to ensure that no country can restrict access to key global shipping routes.
That concern is especially significant given the Taiwan Strait’s role in global trade. Nearly half of the world’s container ships travel through it each year, including the vast majority of the largest vessels. It is also a critical energy corridor, with most of Japan’s oil imports and a large share of South Korea’s supplies passing through these waters from the Middle East.
China’s reaction to the Japanese transit went beyond diplomatic criticism. The People’s Liberation Army launched a coordinated naval response. One formation, identified as the 133rd naval task group, moved through a channel in the Ryukyu island chain into the western Pacific. Around the same time, the aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed through the Taiwan Strait on April 20 and continued south toward the South China Sea.
Chinese military officials described both movements as routine exercises conducted according to their annual schedule, but analysts say the scale and timing suggest a more deliberate show of force. The maneuvers coincided with the large-scale U.S.-Philippines Balikatan exercise near northern Luzon, raising the possibility that China was practicing how to pressure opposing forces from multiple directions simultaneously.
The deployment also followed recent high-level engagement between Japan’s leadership and U.S. officials, leading some observers to interpret it as a message aimed at both Tokyo and Washington ahead of future diplomatic talks.
Previous deployments indicate the kind of force China can assemble around its carriers. A past Liaoning strike group included advanced destroyers, a frigate, and a support vessel, forming a capable and flexible naval unit.
Although Beijing insists its current operations are routine, some analysts believe they could be setting the stage for larger exercises. There is speculation that the Liaoning could join forces with China’s other carrier, Shandong, in the South China Sea, potentially paving the way for expanded multi-carrier drills later in 2025. China has already demonstrated this capability once, operating both carriers together with a sizable escort fleet and conducting flight operations from each.
Looking further ahead, U.S. defense assessments project significant growth in China’s naval power. A Pentagon report released in 2025 estimates that China could expand its carrier fleet to nine strike groups by 2035, a development that would bring it much closer to matching the scale of the U.S. Navy.
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