How is the PLA making steady progress with its drills near Taiwan and what is next?

PLA is testing tactics, including blockade and anti-access strategies, and getting closer to the island each time, experts say

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The Shandong aircraft carrier, which took part in its second PLA drills near Taiwan, approaching from the island’s east. Photo: CCTV

Published: 4:06pm, 3 Apr 2025Updated: 5:06pm, 3 Apr 2025

Each military drill staged near Taiwan by the People’s Liberation Army – including this week’s exercises – has displayed further progress in mainland forces’ tactics and coordination, from mock attacks to anti-access strategies, according to analysts.

The PLA has conducted six rounds of large-scale drills since August 2022, when then speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island, with different manoeuvres featured in each one.

“The exercises have grown in scale, drawing ever closer to Taiwan, further compressing Taiwan’s strategic space and reaction time, with key ports and potential landing points now within [Beijing’s] grasp,” mainland military analyst Fu Qianshao said.

More importantly, the operations had strengthened the PLA’s ability to counter external intervention, extending far beyond Taiwan itself, sending a message to the US and its regional allies, including Japan, he noted.

Getting closer

Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said there had been a gradual “iteration” in PLA drills, with more elements and increasing complexity added over time.

“What we’re seeing is a very deliberate attempt to simulate scenarios as close as possible to real-world conditions. In other words, it’s not just about posturing or signalling. The PLA is clearly working to refine and enhance its ability to carry out these operations if necessary.”