China holds military drills around Taiwan to warn against independence

China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan as a warning to “independence forces” on the island. This was in response to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s speech marking Taiwan’s National Day, where he emphasized Taiwan’s self-ruling democracy. China views Lai as a separatist and a troublemaker, and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its unification goal. The latest drills, named “Joint Sword-2024B,” are meant to test the joint operations capability of the Chinese military. Taiwan’s defense ministry criticized the exercises as irrational and provocative, while expressing willingness to work with China for peace in the Taiwan Strait. Despite tensions, most people in Taiwan believe a Chinese invasion in the next five years is unlikely.