In the span of just five weeks, China conducted live-fire drills near Australia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It tested new landing barges capable of facilitating an amphibious assault on Taiwan and unveiled deep-sea cable cutters that can disable another country’s internet access.
China has been assertively displaying its maritime strength in the Indo-Pacific to demonstrate its dominance to its regional neighbors, but it is also testing the response of a bigger rival, Donald Trump. Since Trump took office, his administration has focused on tariffs and waged an escalating trade war with Beijing, while largely ignoring China’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
However, this is starting to change. The US state department denounced China’s aggressive military activities and rhetoric in relation to unannounced military drills in the Taiwan Strait. The US defence secretary has assured Japan and the Philippines of America’s continued support against China, and reaffirmed that China remains the biggest threat to the US.
The US’s Indo-Pacific allies want to hear reassurances from Trump himself, who has been vague on issues like Taiwan. His unpredictable approach to global affairs and lack of a consistent long-term strategy raise concerns about how the US will protect Taiwan and other countries in the region from China’s advances.
China will likely continue to test the limits of Trump’s response, becoming more aggressive in the Taiwan Strait and targeting countries with which it has territorial disputes. China’s diplomatic maneuvers may tempt Moscow to strike a grand bargain with Trump, offering economic incentives in exchange for concessions in Ukraine.
The lack of a clear China strategy from the US is a concern, as evidenced by mass firings in the county’s intelligence services and cuts to Radio Free Asia. These moves may compromise US security and hinder its ability to compete with China, which leads in areas like artificial intelligence and robotics.
The absence of a strong signal from Trump regarding the region could lead to more Chinese ships in the area, further complicating international security and instability in the Indo-Pacific.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/14/china-taiwan-military-drills-trump-barges-asia-pacific-security
