Late last month, Chinese navy ships, including large guided-missile destroyers, were positioned all around Taiwan. The map below shows their approximate positions, which were shared with The Wall Street Journal by security officials in the region. This wasn’t a military drill intended to show force. In 2026, it is an ordinary day. Since the start of the decade, China has sharply accelerated its efforts to close in on Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory and is seeking to bring under its control. It wields a vast tool kit to pressure the island democracy—one that has expanded as China has cemented its position as a global power. In the diplomatic realm, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is using his country’s clout to isolate Taiwan, taking aim at a crucial lifeline: American support. At the same time, Chinese forces constantly fly, sail, probe and patrol close to Taiwan, signaling to the island’s 23 million people that Beijing’s hard-power buildup makes their resistance to a takeover futile.

Full report : Beijing has built a near-constant naval presence around the island since the start of the decade, as it has stepped up efforts to bring Taipei under its control.