China deploys over 50 vessels in western Pacific, raising alarm in Taiwan, Japan

China has spread its naval forces across a vast stretch of the western Pacific, putting Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines on alert as more than 50 Chinese vessels operate across multiple strategic waters in a show of maritime reach that has raised concerns about a widening regional security threat.According to Reuters, Taiwan National Security Council secretary-general Joseph Wu warned that the simultaneous threat to the three countries was “obvious”, as he shared a map showing the scale and geographic spread of China's naval activity.Wu's map, posted on Wednesday, showed 53 Chinese vessels across the region, including 34 navy warships and the aircraft carrier Liaoning.“We're staying vigilant about their activities,” Wu said, warning that the deployments raised concerns beyond Taiwan's immediate surroundings.The vessels were spread across several strategically important waters, with the Liaoning and its accompanying battle group positioned east of the Philippines, other Chinese naval formations operating off Taiwan's eastern and southeastern coasts, and three formations located off southern Japan.China's defence ministry said the Liaoning aircraft carrier group sailed into the western Pacific on October 14 for training under the Chinese navy's annual routine exercise plan.The navy said the drills were intended to test and improve the group's combat readiness and mission capabilities, adding that they complied with international law and were “not directed at any specific country or target”.The deployment places Chinese naval forces across a broad stretch of the western Pacific, potentially increasing the surveillance and defence demands on Taiwan and its regional partners.Japan's defence ministry separately said it had tracked three Chinese warships and a Chinese Coast Guard vessel passing through the Osumi Strait, off the southwestern island of Kyushu, on Tuesday before entering the Pacific Ocean.