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Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on November 10 that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group and other naval forces recently conducted area denial exercises in the Western Pacific, and the Taiwanese military is continuously monitoring the situation and exchanging intelligence with allies.

Military activity around the Taiwan Strait remains under close scrutiny. Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on Nov. 10 that China had recently conducted area-denial, or anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD), drills in the Western Pacific involving the Liaoning aircraft carrier group and other naval training formations. Taiwan's armed forces are tracking the developments through intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and exchanging information with partner countries.

According to a Reuters report on Nov. 10, Koo told reporters at the Legislative Yuan that China was indeed using the Liaoning carrier group and other naval training forces to conduct area-denial drills in the Western Pacific.

Area denial refers to the use of military deployments and operational capabilities to prevent outside forces from entering a specific area or intervening in a conflict. In the context of the Taiwan Strait, the concept could involve China's efforts to limit the ability of the United States and other partners to provide support in the event of a conflict.

National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu disclosed related maritime activity information on social media last week, saying that more than 100 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels were operating around Taiwan, in the South China Sea and in the Western Pacific. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has also reported an increase in Chinese military aircraft activity around Taiwan.

China, however, has not officially announced the drills as a specific military operation. China's Ministry of National Defense said last month that the Liaoning's training in the Western Pacific was part of its annual routine and intended to test its capabilities for operations in distant seas and the open ocean, rather than targeting any particular country.

Koo said Taiwan's military would continue monitoring the activity through joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mechanisms and exchanging intelligence with partner countries to track China's military deployments and their potential impact on regional security.

The developments come as the APEC leaders' summit is due to take place in Shenzhen and ahead of Taiwan's local elections on Nov. 28. Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump was expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during APEC, adding to international attention on military activity in the region.

Taiwan's government has consistently rejected Beijing's sovereignty claims over Taiwan and said the island's future must be decided by its people. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force.

How Taiwan's defense authorities assess the Liaoning group's activities, and how countries in the region respond to China's military deployments in distant waters, will be important indicators of the Indo-Pacific security situation.