China launches new round of military drills near Taiwan as tensions escalate

Chinese State TV is reporting that dozens of Chinese fighter jets, carrying live missiles, have been conducting mock strikes in the airspace and water around Taiwan. The latest military drills have been described by Chinese military spokesman Colonel Li Xi as “strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan's independence forces’ and a stern warning against interference and provocation by external forces.” Taiwan, which is a self-governing island, has mobilized its military forces in response. The military drills come just days after Taiwan's new president, Lai Ching-te, was inaugurated and called on the mainland to stop making such threats.
Taiwan presents a real challenge to the United States, as keeping China at bay militarily embodies the triumph of American dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. Protecting Taiwan from a perceived Chinese threat, as well as competition with China on various economic, technological, and military fronts, are important policy goals for the United States. Washington official policy on Taiwan is one of "strategic ambiguity," which was put to the test when former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in August 2022. Both politicians in Taipei and Beijing are unsure as to how the U.S. would respond if China were to invade Taiwan or if Taiwan were to declare its independence. In the first scenario, an American military response could potentially spark a war with China, while in the second, uncertainty as to whether the U.S. would come to Taiwan's aid could prevent Taiwan from declaring outright independence from China.