Will Philippine Sea be the main battlefield for PLA carriers in a Taiwan war?

AI Summary

The Philippine Sea is increasingly viewed as a critical battleground for potential conflict between the US, its allies, and China's PLA carriers over Taiwan. Beijing’s strategy to deploy aircraft carriers east of Taiwan aims to complicate US intervention in the region.

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...