Strategic competition between the United States and China is intensifying in the Pacific, with both powers expanding military activities in a struggle for influence centered on Taiwan. China has recently extended its military reach deeper into the Pacific, prompting the United States and its allies to bolster their defenses and regional partnerships.
China’s Expanding Military Footprint
Beijing has grown increasingly assertive about what it views as foreign interference in its traditional sphere of influence. In response, China has been pushing the geographic boundaries of its military operations, targeting key areas around Taiwan and beyond. Chinese forces are now regularly operating beyond the so-called “first island chain”—a strategic line that connects U.S. allies like Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines—and into a wider area of the Pacific.
Notably, in June, China deployed two aircraft carriers simultaneously in the western Pacific for the first time, with one carrier passing by Japan’s Iwo Jima alongside at least seven other vessels. This marked the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier crossed the “second island chain,” a further line of strategic significance in the Pacific.
Chinese naval ships have also ventured through the Tasman Sea and around Australia, conducting live-fire drills along the way. New Zealand’s defense minister referred to the naval visit as a “wake-up call.” During the June exercises, Chinese forces reportedly executed over 1,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings, with Chinese fighter jets shadowing Japanese patrols monitoring the activities.
U.S. Response and Alliance Pressure
In response, the United States has positioned anti-ship missiles, often referred to as “carrier killers,” in northern regions of the Philippines to deter Chinese movement through the first island chain. The display of Chinese force in June, however, signaled a new level of military provocation.
“The issue is not just China’s growing blue-water capabilities,” said Jennifer Parker, a naval studies associate at the University of New South Wales in Canberra. “It’s how aggressively they are being used.”
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam January 11, 2018. Picture taken January 11, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Gerald Willis/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo
The U.S. continues to reinforce its military footprint across Asia, maintaining tens of thousands of troops in Japan and South Korea. On the American territory of Guam, the U.S. military has strengthened its presence by building a new base to house 5,000 Marines, in addition to already stationed nuclear submarines and long-range bombers.
The Philippines, while not hosting permanent U.S. troops, has granted American forces access to more bases, where advanced missile systems have recently been deployed. A recent U.S. missile delivery to an island in the Philippines just 120 miles south of Taiwan exemplifies these strategic efforts.
Taiwan: At the Heart of the Conflict
Taiwan remains the central issue in this geopolitical contest. The self-governing island, which China claims as its own, has seen an increase in military pressure. Chinese aircraft now routinely cross into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), and Beijing’s naval presence around the island continues to grow.
Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, described these activities as rehearsals for a potential invasion. The Taiwan Strait—only about 100 miles wide—has become a daily flashpoint for aerial and maritime military encounters.
While President Trump has continued the traditional U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding a direct military response to a Chinese invasion, American support for Taiwan includes weapons sales, missile defense systems, military training, and assistance to its defense industry.
Soldiers set up barricades to block a bridge connecting New Taipei with Taiwan’s capital Taipei during the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Taipei, Taiwan July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang
At a security forum in Singapore in May, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that threats against Taiwan “could be imminent,” urging regional allies to do more to counter Beijing. His comments were met with criticism from a senior Chinese Communist Party official, Liu Jianchao, who accused Washington of “inciting confrontation.”
Alliance Strains and Defense Spending
The U.S. has also pushed its allies to significantly increase their defense budgets, calling for military spending to reach 5% of GDP. While some resistance has emerged—Japan aims for 2%, and South Korea argues its military spending is already high—the demand signals a shift toward more robust regional defense planning.
Meanwhile, the United States is leading multinational exercises across the Indo-Pacific. One example is the three-week Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise currently underway in Australia, involving 19 countries. The large-scale drill includes long-range precision missile deployments and operations across remote islands.
Chinese Countermeasures and Reactions
Beijing views these exercises as direct provocations. In June, a British warship passed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time in four years, triggering Chinese military drills that Taiwanese officials saw as a direct response.
“It’s clear that Beijing is reacting to the growing unity among democratic nations,” one official remarked.
