BEIJING – The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is pushing beyond a chain of archipelagos to hold rare military drills that could be seen as a challenge to US dominance in the Western Pacific. 

A naval task group led by a Chinese warship – the Type 052D destroyer Baotou – will sail through the Bashi Channel, a critical chokepoint within the so-called first island chain and into the Western Pacific Ocean, according to a statement from the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command on April 19. 

The first island chain refers to a string of Pacific archipelagos encompassing US allies and partners including Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, forming a key defensive line aimed at containing Chinese maritime expansion. 

The drills are designed to test long‑range combat capabilities, the statement said, adding that they are routine training exercise and not directed at any specific country or target. 

The move comes after the PLA Eastern Theater Command announced on April 18 it conducted joint naval and air readiness patrols aimed at testing joint naval and air capabilities in the East China Sea. 

On April 17, China criticised the presence of a Japanese Self-Defense Forces vessel in the Taiwan Strait. At a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the move as “provocative” and noted that Beijing has lodged an official protest with Tokyo. BLOOMBERG