ALERT: China’s naval expansion and 100-ship surge increase military pressure on Taiwan and East Asian allies.

Reuters reports that China coordinated over 100 naval and coast guard vessels across the East and South China Seas on December 4, 2025. Analysts say the scale and timing show China’s growing ability to conduct synchronized maritime operations that limit response time for nearby militaries.

China executed its largest maritime surge in the East and South China Seas, according to a Reuters summary of intelligence reports released on December 4, 2025. Analysts said the operation involved over 100 naval and coast guard vessels moving in multiple sectors almost simultaneously, a pattern U.S. officials have watched for indications of advanced fleet coordination. While the intent was not specified, the activity was unusually cohesive and significant for regional monitoring agencies.
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China’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian (Hull 18), during its commissioning ceremony, marked a major step in the PLAN’s carrier aviation modernization. (Picture source: China MoD)

China’s deployment of over 100 naval and coast guard vessels across East Asia coincides with a rapidly expanding fleet capable of projecting power at multiple flashpoints. The combination of massed maritime operations and major advances in carrier, amphibious, and submarine capabilities poses a growing strategic threat, particularly to Taiwan.

This surge occurs as the PLAN (China Navy) accelerates the development of its aircraft carrier fleet. In May 2024, the newest carrier, Fujian, began sea trials and continued extensive testing throughout 2024 and 2025. Its electromagnetic catapult system and arrester gear will allow China to launch heavier, longer-range aircraft, including next-generation fighters and electronic-warfare platforms. Once operational, expected in late 2025 or 2026, Fujian will significantly expand the PLAN’s strike and surveillance envelope around Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the PLAN’s first carrier, Liaoning, completed a year-long refit in 2024, and the second carrier, Shandong, continued large-scale training cycles. Together, both carriers conducted deployments in the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea, and around Taiwan, demonstrating increasingly sustained sortie rates. Their flight operations near the island highlight China’s improving ability to conduct multi-day air operations that simulate blockades, encirclement drills, or air-denial scenarios.

A fourth, larger Chinese carrier is reportedly under construction, suggesting that the PLAN seeks a multi-carrier force to sustain pressure on Taiwan from multiple maritime directions. Such a force is critical to any high-intensity contingency aimed at isolating or coercing the island.

China is expanding amphibious assault capabilities faster than any regional rival. It has rapidly fielded several Type-075 large-deck assault ships and is building the larger Type-076 class. Satellite imagery suggests the Type-076 may surpass U.S. LHDs in size and could feature electromagnetic catapults for launching fixed-wing drones. If confirmed, the vessel would be a hybrid amphibious-aviation platform optimized for fast island seizure, surveillance swarms, and suppression of coastal defenses—capabilities directly relevant to Taiwan’s security.

The PLAN is strengthening its surface escort forces, with carrier groups increasingly protected by Type-055 cruisers—large warships equipped for air defense and command roles—and Type-052D destroyers, multi-role ships focused on anti-air and anti-submarine warfare. These vessels, which have advanced sensors and long-range missile systems, enhance China’s ability to impose air and maritime exclusion zones around Taiwan or defend amphibious and carrier strike groups during a regional crisis.

Submarine modernization complicates Taiwan’s defense planning. The anticipated arrival of the Type-096 ballistic missile and Type-095 attack submarines, along with new variants equipped with vertical launch systems, increases China’s ability to threaten Taiwanese ports, naval bases, and sea lines of communication. Although reports of an unconfirmed submarine incident in Wuhan persist, ongoing construction signals China’s continued investment in its undersea fleet.

The threat to Taiwan becomes clear when combined with China’s recent 100-ship deployment. Massed formations near the Taiwan Strait can simulate blockade patterns, saturate approaches, and strain Taiwan’s readiness cycles. Large coast guard groupings give China gray-zone tools that force Taiwan to respond without clear escalation thresholds, gradually normalizing a coercive presence and complicating U.S. and allied support.

China’s expanded maritime power poses greater risks for the United States across key corridors needed to support Taiwan in crisis. Surveillance encounters, Chinese vessel shadowing, and mass maritime saturation could delay early U.S. presence in a conflict. Japan also faces greater difficulty defending the Ryukyu Islands and vital air routes essential for reinforcing Taiwan.

The Philippines is also under direct pressure, as Chinese formations operating in the Bashi Channel or the northern Luzon corridor could impede allied access routes to Taiwan while simultaneously increasing tensions in the South China Sea. China's 100-ship surge and rapid naval modernization mark a strategic shift: Beijing is moving beyond episodic force to a persistent, multi-theater maritime presence intended to pressure Taiwan, influence regional choices, and challenge U.S. contingency planning in East Asian waters.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.