South China Sea Heats Up

[Gusington]

Just in time.

[Uberhaus]

China has launched two days of military drills around Taiwan. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqvv29gpqn1o

Thursday's drills for the first time simulated a full-scale attack, Taiwanese military experts said, rather than an economic blockade.
The exercises took place all around the main island, and for the first time also targeted the Taipei-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin which lie close to the Chinese coast, according to maps released by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).
The drills also included a component to the east of Taiwan - the island's rugged east coast on the other side of a mountain range has long been its military redoubt.
Taiwan has built much of its hardened military infrastructure along this coast, including a large underground airbase inside a mountain near the city of Hualien. It is also close to Japan's southern islands, and a natural resupply route.
By sending naval and air patrols to the east of Taiwan, China aims to show Taipei that its east is now exposed to Chinese attack, and to show the Americans that any effort to resupply or re-enforce Taiwan from the east is vulnerable to Chinese missile strikes and naval attack.

This is in response to Taiwan's newly inaugurated President Lai's speech.  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-69036373

Taiwan's newly inaugurated president William Lai has called on China to stop threatening the island and accept the existence of its democracy.

He urged Beijing to replace confrontation with dialogue, shortly after being sworn in on Monday.
He also said Taiwan would never back down in the face of intimidation from China, which has long claimed the island as its own.

The BBC's live coverage of events seems to have vanished but it covered the facts that planning for this exercise would have taken months and that China could attack the Taiwanese islands close to mainland China.  What China continues to do in the next few days and weeks will have to be watched.

Reuters is stating that China is making mock attacks against Taiwan.  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/with-mock-attacks-china-sends-honed-warning-to-taiwan-s-new-president/ar-BB1mUkPI