Five days after we reported, "China Rehearses Taiwan Blockade In Unannounced Naval War Drill," Reuters appears to have caught up with our reporting about Beijing conducting unannounced war drills involving more than 100 military and coast guard vessels across the western Pacific and around Taiwan at the start of the month.
Reuters cited a Taiwanese security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, who confirmed what we reported last Sunday about China's military and coast guard amassing ships in the region. According to the official, the exercise included simulated attacks on other militaries and cities, including Taiwan's.
The official said the early November drills were much larger than "Justice Mission 2025," China's last formally named drills targeting Taiwan nearly one year ago. This suggests China could be rehearsing for shipping restrictions or even a blockade of the island or critical maritime shipping lanes in the region next year, potentially sparking supply chain concerns.
As we noted at the time, the drills came just ahead of the US midterms and next week's APEC summit in Shenzhen, where President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet.
Reuters offered more color on the drills:
During the latest drills, a Chinese submarine also launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Yellow Sea into the Chinese mainland, the official said. "It is a silent exercise — and in effect, silent intimidation," they said.
"This is
