China's President Xi Jinping recently visited Fujian province, which is located near Taiwan, following large-scale military exercises conducted by China. These exercises involved the mobilization of China's navy, air force, missile force, and land troops to simulate a blockade of Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims as its own territory and threatens to annex by force.
During his visit, Xi did not comment on the military exercises, as reported by the official Xinhua News Agency. However, his visit came shortly after China dispatched a record 125 aircraft, along with its Liaoning aircraft carrier and ships, for the military drills surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands.
Bringing Taiwan under Beijing's control remains a top priority for Xi Jinping's administration, as he leads the ruling Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army. Taiwan's newly elected president, Lai Ching-te, has faced criticism from Beijing for rejecting its stance that Taiwan is a part of China.
The military drills occurred just days after Taiwan celebrated the founding of its government on National Day. President Lai Ching-te emphasized in his speech that China has no authority to represent Taiwan and reaffirmed his commitment to resisting any attempts at annexation or encroachment.
Taiwan's history includes being a Japanese colony before being unified with China at the end of World War II. However, it separated from China in 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island following their defeat by Mao Zedong's Communists in a civil war.
