China dispatches warships to Pacific as Japan joins US-Philippines war games for the first time

China has deployed a group of warships for drills in the western Pacific Ocean, even as the US and the Philippines launched their annual Balikatan military exercises with Japan’s first major participation, highlighting rising tensions in the region, Bloomberg reported.

According to the report, the Chinese navy sent a task group led by the Type 052D destroyer Baotou, which transited between Japan’s Amami Oshima and Yokoate islands before carrying out training in the western Pacific, the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command said on Sunday.

Balikatan drills underway

This move by China comes as thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined by a significant Japanese contingent for the first time, began their annual exercises on Monday amid the backdrop of the ongoing Middle East war.

The drills will feature live-fire exercises in northern areas facing the Taiwan Strait, along with operations in a province near the disputed South China Sea.

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Japan’s expanded role

Japan has contributed around 1,400 personnel and is set to deploy a Type 88 cruise missile to sink a target ship off northern Paoay, marking a notable expansion of its role in the exercises.

More than 17,000 troops, including soldiers, airmen and sailors, are participating in the 19-day Balikatan—or “Shoulder to Shoulder”—drills, alongside forces from Australia, New Zealand, France and Canada.

US exercise spokesman Colonel Robert Bunn said the drills reflect “our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Beijing calls drills ‘routine’

The Chinese exercises come days after Beijing criticised Japan for sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait. It described its latest drills as routine training aimed at testing far-seas operational capabilities, insisting they are not directed at any specific country.

Expanding presence beyond First Island Chain

The development highlights China’s growing naval activity beyond the so-called First Island Chain, which stretches from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines.

In June 2025, Japan reported spotting two Chinese aircraft carriers and supporting vessels operating simultaneously near remote Japanese islands in the Pacific for the first time.

While Chinese warships frequently pass near Japan’s south-western islands, this marks the first time Beijing has announced a transit through the Yokoate Waterway, closer to mainland Japan than the commonly used Miyako Strait.

Tensions over Taiwan Strait

Tensions between China and Japan remain high. On April 17, Beijing called the presence of a Japanese Self-Defence Forces vessel in the Taiwan Strait “provocative” and lodged an official protest with Tokyo.

Japan has not confirmed the transit, though local media reports suggest it would be the fourth such passage since 2024.

Strains since 2025 remarks

Relations have also been strained since 2025, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo could deploy its military if China used force against Taiwan. Beijing has since taken measures affecting Japan’s imports of dual-use goods and tourism, while Tokyo has not directly responded.

The latest developments follow joint naval and air patrols conducted by the PLA Eastern Theatre Command in the East China Sea on April 18 to test coordinated capabilities.