China says military drills surrounding Taiwan underway

China says military exercises by its navy, air force, and other departments are underway in six zones surrounding Taiwan.

The drills were prompted by a visit to the island by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) this week and are intended to advertise China's threat to attack the self-governing island republic in response to moves to solidify its de facto independence from Chinese rule with support from the United States, a key ally.

China's Xinhua News Agency said the exercises were joint operations focused on "blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, and airspace control." Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills while the U.S. has numerous naval assets in the area.

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