• Taiwan has been ringed by Chinese naval boats and Beijing’s displays of might.
• US officials say that China’s threats against Taiwan are real.
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the recent military exercises are a “significant escalation” in tensions with Taiwan.

Taiwan warns that recent Chinese military exercises are a rehearsal for an invasion.

In recent days, the disputed island has been ringed by Chinese naval boats and Beijing’s displays of might.

Last week, a congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, which angered the Chinese Communist Party.

Even though China asked the US to cancel the meeting, the delegation went ahead with the trip.

After Pelosi left office, China’s navy and air force started doing military drills in six zones around Taiwan, some of which overlap Taiwan’s territorial seas.

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The United States responded by sending multiple warships to the area.

US officials, including top cabinet members of President Biden, have said that China’s threats against Taiwan are real.

Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, said that China’s military exercises, especially the recent firing of missiles into the Taiwan Strait and Japan’s economic zone, are a “significant escalation.”

“China has chosen to overreact and use Speaker Pelosi’s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” he told a gathering of reporters on Friday at an ASEAN summit.

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