China Begins Two Days of Live Fire Drills in Taiwan Strait The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has started two days of live fire drills in the Taiwan Strait, just 24 hours after high level talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The timing is not coincidental; the war games are taking place near Dongshan Island, which borders the province of Guangdong, where China's naval presence has been increasing.
The location allows Beijing to demonstrate its ability to exert control over the Taiwan Strait, a critical waterway connecting the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean.