Report notes increase in western Pacific military activities

Apart from the United States, extra-regional countries from Europe and Oceania increased the frequency of their military activities in the western Pacific in 2025, especially in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, raising the risk of accidental clashes and undermining regional peace and stability, said a think tank report released on Tuesday.

According to the report, which was issued by the Beijing-based think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, countries including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Australia have in recent years frequently sent warships and military aircraft to the region for so-called "freedom of navigation" operations, citing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

In 2025, six warships from Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand sailed through the strait on five occasions, each accompanied by official publicity machinery, the report said.