The Indo-Pacific: Chinese Power Projection on Display
For the past few weeks, the French carrier strike group centred around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has been present in the Indo-Pacific region. This presence began in early February with the trilateral Pacific Steller exercise in the Philippine Sea alongside the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and the Japanese aircraft carrier JS Kaga(1).
At the same time, after an amphibious patrol in the Philippine Sea for the Amphibious Ready Group of the LHA USS America(2), American and Japanese amphibious forces are engaged in the annual amphibious exercise Iron Fist in the Okinawa archipelago from 19 February to 7 March(3).
Presence of Chinese ships in Okinawa
During the same period, two Chinese battle groups were spotted by Japanese surveillance planes sailing independently in the international waters of the Miyako Strait, southwest of Okinawa, heading towards the Philippine Sea.
Spotted by a P-3C Orion and a Japanese Navy (JMSDF) minesweeper on 10 February at around 11 p.m., the ships of the first task group with the destroyer CNS Nanjing (155), the frigate CNS Huanggan (577) and the oil tanker CNS Qiandao Hu(886) were followed the next day at around 3am by an amphibious task group made up of the destroyer CNS Shaoxing(134), the frigate CNS Xuzhou (530), the LPD type 071 CNS Siming Shan (986) and the LHD type 075 CNS Anhui (33). The destination is, of course, unknown, and could be the Indonesian humanitarian exercise Komodo(4).
The Tasman Sea: A New Chinese Objective?
On 19 February, the Australian navy belatedly reported the presence, first in the Coral Sea, 150 km from Sydney, then in the Tasman Sea, of another task group formed by the CNS Hengyang Type 054A frigate, the CNS Zunyi Type 055 destroyer and the CNS Weishanhu supply ship.
These vessels carried out live-fire drills in international waters, giving air navigation only a moment’s notice, causing, as one might expect, some commotion in aeronautical circles, but also diplomatically, given the proximity of the waters to the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The airlines Qantas and Air New Zealand, as well as Emirates and others (nearly 50 flights) had to change their regular itineraries to avoid flying over the offending zone, which was reported by the Chinese navy at the last minute. The New Zealand forces also dispatched a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft, a frigate and a refuelling tanker to the region(5).
Australian Imbroglio
In fact, the first Chinese ships had transited through the Torres Strait north of Australia as early as 11 February. Crossing the Coral Sea from 13 to 19 February, they thus sailed along the EEZ of French waters in New Caledonia, prompting the alerting of French air force sailors based in La Tontouta to in turn mark the Chinese ships with their F200 Gardian reconnaissance planes in liaison with the BSAOM d’Entrecasteaux(6).
Thanks to the publication of precise maps showing the positions of the Chinese ships, Newsweek showed this ‘circumnavigation’ on 3 March, going so far as to talk of encirclement(7).
Numerous voices were heard criticising the lack of information from the government and stigmatising the late discovery of the intruders by the Australian military.
In Perth, in the south-west of the country, as the Chinese task group approached the region, the Prime Minister of the State of Western Australia called for more military resources to protect the country against a potential invasion.
Speaking to Sky News, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said that such behavior was ‘not unprecedented’ but that it was ‘an unusual event’.
For her part, New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins said that China had ‘not deigned to inform us of what it was doing in the middle of the Tasman Sea’.
The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, confirmed that the Australian navy would continue to follow the Chinese ships until they had left the country’s coastline and that his government would seek diplomatic explanations.
For his part, the Chinese ambassador to Australia thought it was normal for his country to ‘flex its muscles’ in front of the Australians, as it is a major power in the region(8).
What is the Chinese objective?
Are these deployments of Chinese ships in tactical formations in Indo-Pacific waters provocations or should they be considered as simple power projection exercises?
First of all, it is certain that the Chinese government has the political will to respond to a Western military presence, whether through provocative but limited actions or through the mere presence of ships aimed at destabilising the main adversary, the United States and its allies. Furthermore, while it is undeniable that China’s maritime capabilities are growing strongly, with the country’s shipyards managing to mass-produce large ships, amphibious vessels and aircraft carriers at a rate that no other country in the world can match, the same cannot be said for the training of specialised crews.
To achieve maximum capacity utilization of its modern resources, the Chinese navy must perfect its training and not only on its own coasts. It must sail and use diplomatic ports of call for these purposes, as they are real tools for international relations. Its actions in the closest oceans, the Pacific or the Indian, contribute to the overall mission of Chinese foreign policy.
After having sailed warships such as frigates and destroyers, the Chinese navy now deploys naval tactical groups with their support vessel, but also amphibious groups, allowing their marine infantry troops to perfect their training outside their usual waters and to confirm their work in harmony with the carrier vessels but also with those in charge of support in the Amphibious Operations Area (destroyers and frigates).
It is likely that, before long, a new type of naval air group centred around an aircraft carrier or even an aircraft carrier itself will carry out real cruises for training purposes, but also for diplomatic – or even industrial – action, as is the case with the annual ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ campaigns for the French navy.
The fact remains that this ‘intrusion’ is the first act of force to have been committed beyond the first and second lines of the famous ‘string of pearls’, without it being possible to link it to any invitation from independent nations(9).
LCL (Ret.) Huc served for ten years in the Army with three postings in the French Navy, including as ALFAN land deputy in the amphibious unit and deputy to the amphibious chief of staff of COMFRMARFOR.
This article was published by Operationnales on March 6, 2025.
Notes:
(1) Voir les post LinkedIn >>> hashtag#CLEMENCEAU25, hashtag#FRENCH_CSG
(2) USS America on WESTPAC Patrol; Russian Pacific Action Group Deploys – USNI News (4 février 2025)
(3) S. Marines, Japanese Forces to Drill in Southwestern Japan in Iron Fist Exercise – USNI News (24 janvier 2025)
(4) Chinese Surface Action Group, Amphibious Task Group Transit Miyako Strait – USNI News (12 février 2025)
(5) Les forces australiennes surveillent la présence inhabituelle d’une flottille chinoise au large de Sydney – Zone Militaire(20 février 2025) ; Chinese Navy Task Group Operating in Australia’s EEZ; U.S., Japan Hold Ballistic Missile Exercise – USNI News (25 février 2025)
(6) Site « le marin », 21 février 2025
(7) Map shows Chinese warships encircling US ally Australia during pointed Pacific deployment – Newsweek (3 mars 2025)
(8) http://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/02/20/australia-new-zealand-monitoring-3-chinese-warships-off-australia/ (20 février 2025) ; http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/chinese-warships-circle-australia-stoking-an-anxious-nations-worst-fears (2 mars 2025)
Credit image: ID 358060968 | Chinese © Dzmitry Halavach | Dreamstime.com
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