China Starts Two-Day Live-Fire Drills Near Taiwan Strait

China announced it has begun live-fire exercises in parts of the Taiwan Strait, with operations running from 2200 GMT to 1000 GMT each day around Dongshan Island. The drills are scheduled for two days.

The move came a day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Manila. Rubio said the US opposes China's deployment of coast guard vessels near Taiwan and criticized recent encroachments by Chinese ships. He called the activity "undermining the spirit of strategic stability" and said deep policy differences on Taiwan will likely persist for the foreseeable future. Rubio added that a pending US arms package to Taiwan remains under internal review.

China's last major war games encircling Taiwan occurred in December, shortly after the US unveiled a record $11.1 billion arms package for the island. The latest drills follow the same pattern of military signaling tied to US-Taiwan dealings.