China began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan this Tuesday as a “stern warning” against separatism
The exercises around the democratically governed island, which China views as its own territory and wants to bring under its control, come after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te called Beijing a “foreign hostile force” last month.
Taiwan’s government condemns the drills, with the presidential office saying China is “widely recognized by the international community as a troublemaker” and that the government has the confidence and ability to defend itself.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.