In 2023, China allocated approximately $15 billion, or 7% of its defence budget, to military exercises in the Western Pacific, according to Taiwanese estimates. This significant investment underscores Beijing's growing military activity around Taiwan and its neighbouring regions.

China spends $15 bn on military drills in Western Pacific

The US is likely to deploy nearly half of its aircraft carriers in the western Pacific this year, in a signal of deterrence against the increasing military activity in the region by China and North Korea, analysts said.

US to deploy 5 aircraft carriers in near China in show of strength

US to deploy 5 aircraft carriers in western Pacific in show of strength to China

The USS Zumwalt – one of the most advanced surface warships in the United States Navy – was sent to the western Pacific region and&nbsp;it reached Tokyo on Monday. With tensions flaring between China and Taiwan, this was seen as a show of power by the US who may deploy hypersonic missiles to the region.

According to CNN, the USS Zumwalt belongs to a class of multi-mission guided missile destroyers that the Navy believes will “create a new level of battlespace complexity for potential adversaries.”

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There are two other ships in the Zumwalt class - USS Michael Mansoor and USS Lyndon B. Johnson.

The warship made a port call in Guam and arrived in Japan on Monday as part of the Destroyer Squadron 15 – the largest destroyer squadron operated by the Navy out of Yokosuka Naval Base.

“The presence of a stealth warship will draw a great deal of (Chinese) interest, especially if the Zumwalt is outfitted with hypersonic weapons,” Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, told CNN.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-vice-president-harris-will-visit-korean-dmz-on-thursday-us-and-south-korean-officials-confirm-519961" hreflang="en">US Vice President Harris will visit Korean DMZ on Thursday, US&nbsp;and South Korean officials confirm</a>

Currently, the USS Zumwalt is “the largest and most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world” and at 185 meters long, it is larger than any Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The Pentagon is also looking to upgrade the warship by adding the latest Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HCB) weapons system in the future. The weapons system fires missiles at hypersonic speed by the use of booster rocket motor, according to the latest memo published by the US Navy.

“The C-HGB is intended to be able to destroy targets by virtue of its velocity alone,” the report said.

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The USS Zumwalt – one of the most advanced surface warships in the United States Navy – was sent to the western Pacific region and it reached Tokyo on Monday. With tensions flaring between China and Taiwan, this was seen as a show of power by the US who may deploy hypersonic missiles to the region.

The USS Zumwalt – one of the most advanced surface warships in the United States Navy – was sent to the western Pacific region and it reached Tokyo on Monday. With tensions flaring between China and Taiwan, this was seen as a show of power by the US who may deploy hypersonic missiles to the region. According to CNN, the USS Zumwalt belongs to a class of multi-mission guided missile destroyers that the Navy believes will “create a new level of battlespace complexity for potential adversaries.” Also read | NASA's DART spacecraft strikes asteroid in key planetary defence test There are two other ships in the Zumwalt class - USS Michael Mansoor and USS Lyndon B. Johnson. The warship made a port call in Guam and arrived in Japan on Monday as part of the Destroyer Squadron 15 – the largest destroyer squadron operated by the Navy out of Yokosuka Naval Base. “The presence of a stealth warship will draw a great deal of (Chinese) interest, especially if the Zumwalt is outfitted with hypersonic weapons,” Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, told CNN. Also read | US Vice President Harris will visit Korean DMZ on Thursday, US and South Korean officials confirm Currently, the USS Zumwalt is “the largest and most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world” and at 185 meters long, it is larger than any Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The Pentagon is also looking to upgrade the warship by adding the latest Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HCB) weapons system in the future. The weapons system fires missiles at hypersonic speed by the use of booster rocket motor, according to the latest memo published by the US Navy. “The C-HGB is intended to be able to destroy targets by virtue of its velocity alone,” the report said.

US Navy sends one of its most advanced surface warships to western Pacific

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard.&nbsp; 
 
The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said.&nbsp; 
 
Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. 
 
Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world&#39;s oceans and for the projection of its naval power. 
 
The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. 
 
The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a &quot;decoy&quot; to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. 
 
Blocking China&#39;s unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan&#39;s main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. 
 
By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. 
 
The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. 
 
Wary of China&#39;s more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy&#39;s Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. 
 
For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China&#39;s eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise. 
(Reuters)

The joint US, Japanese and Indian naval exercise comes at a time when Beijing tries to extend its influence far away from its shores

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard. The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said. Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world's oceans and for the projection of its naval power. The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a "decoy" to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Blocking China's unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan's main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Wary of China's more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy's Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China's eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise. (Reuters)

Chinese spy ship shadows US, Japanese, Indian naval drill in the Western Pacific

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard.&nbsp; 
 
The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said.&nbsp; 
 
Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. 
 
Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world&#39;s oceans and for the projection of its naval power. 
 
The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. 
 
The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a &quot;decoy&quot; to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. 
 
Blocking China&#39;s unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan&#39;s main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. 
 
By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. 
 
The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. 
 
Wary of China&#39;s more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy&#39;s Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. 
 
For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China&#39;s eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise.

The show of the US and Japan in the eight-day naval drill comes over anxiety of Beijing extending its influence into the western Pacific

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard. The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said. Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world's oceans and for the projection of its naval power. The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a "decoy" to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Blocking China's unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan's main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Wary of China's more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy's Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China's eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise.

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western pacific

China spends $15 bn on military drills in Western Pacific

US to deploy 5 aircraft carriers in near China in show of strength

US to deploy 5 aircraft carriers in western Pacific in show of strength to China

US Navy sends one of its most advanced surface warships to western Pacific

Chinese spy ship shadows US, Japanese, Indian naval drill in the Western Pacific

Chinese spy ship shadows US, Japanese, Indian naval drill in the Western Pacific