The People's Liberation Army has quietly established a multi-layered encirclement around Taiwan under the banner of "Taiwan independence," with over 100 vessels forming a three-tier blockade. The Liaoning aircraft carrier operates on the outer perimeter, coordinating across three military regions in joint operations—effectively constraining the Philippines in the process. This data was disclosed by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post on the 4th and corroborated by real-time monitoring from Taiwan’s defense authorities.
Recent military activities by the PLA in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters have demonstrated clear characteristics of systematic organization, routine operations, and coordinated multi-directional maneuvers, warranting deeper analysis. For instance, during late October, multiple readiness patrols by the PLA consistently created a “three-sided encirclement” — northern control over Taipei and Keelung, southwestern containment of Kaohsiung Harbor and the Tainan military base, and eastern convergence off the coasts of Hualien and Taitung.
Mid-to-late October saw the Chinese Navy dispatch the Liaoning aircraft carrier group to conduct training exercises in the western Pacific region. The formation included two Type 055 destroyers, supported by high-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance drones (WZ-7) and Y-9 electronic intelligence aircraft, enabling integrated operations across land, sea, and air domains. Maritime bureaus in Dalian, Qinhuangdao, and five other locations successively issued navigation warnings, while six maritime zones across four major sea areas conducted intensive, combat-oriented drills. Live-fire exercises in the southern Yellow Sea lasted for 47 days.
Foreign media have focused on the Liaoning group’s passage through the Bashi Strait into waters near the Philippines, where Philippine naval forces deployed vessels to track and monitor its movements. According to foreign assessments, the presence of the Liaoning group in the Western Pacific has indeed exerted strategic pressure on Manila—compelling the Philippines to divert resources to respond to a carrier group operating near its own backyard, even as it participates in joint military exercises with the U.S. and Japan in the South China Sea.
In the Taiwan Strait domain, a distinct trend is emerging: PLA military posture has evolved from sporadic exercises to sustained deployments, and from unilateral pressure to comprehensive, system-wide coordination. As military analysts observe, “Wherever ‘Taiwan independence’ seeks an opening, we will close the gap.” These ongoing drills represent a progressive tightening of operational space for pro-independence forces. At the core of this systemic pressure lies a strategic objective encapsulated in four characters: “Force unification through deterrence by war.” Simultaneously, Beijing has prepared a comprehensive network targeting both hardline elements within Taiwan and external actors interfering in cross-strait affairs.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881191267863556/
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