For decades, the Philippine Sea has been seen as the gateway through which US and allied forces would sail to Taiwan’s defence in a war with the Chinese mainland. But with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) increasingly pushing into the western Pacific, experts say Beijing would seek to place aircraft carriers in the waters east of Taiwan to complicate any intervention. Rather than a gateway, the Philippine Sea could be a critical battleground. Northeast Asia is home to land-based missile networks that could make operating near shore too risky. So, the Philippine Sea would be a “decisive location for carrier operations”, said Michael Bosack, director of the non-profit Parley Policy Initiative.

Full report : As Chinese forces push into the western Pacific, analysts say that carrier groups could be used to frustrate any intervention.