The Chinese military announced large-scale drills in the waters around Taiwan on Tuesday as it again warned the self-ruled island against seeking independence. The joint exercises involve navy, air ground and rocket forces and are meant to be a “severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence,

The barges, which link up to form a bridge, could give China a way to land large numbers of vehicles and troops on Taiwan, solving a major logistical problem.

Ms Zhao, who calls herself “Xiaowei” online, often posts videos featuring a large Chinese flag, saying things such as: “Come on, my fellow Taiwanese, let’s unite and go home together!!!” She is one of three social-media influencers—all of them women from the Chinese mainland who had married Taiwanese men—who were told in March they were no longer welcome to live on the island.

The Chinese military on Tuesday said it had begun conducting exercises that would approach the island of Taiwan “from multiple directions,” according to a statement posted on the Eastern Theater Command’s official social media account.

China's military on Wednesday launched military exercises code-named "Strait Thunder-2025A" in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait, continuing drills begun the previous day. A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters there were more than 10 Chinese warships in Taiwan's "response zone" on Wednesday morning,

Taiwan Navy ships patrol Keelung harbour as China stages military drills in the Taiwan Strait China's military conducted a live-fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait to simulate strikes on key ports and energy facilities,

China launched its latest round of war games around Taiwan on Tuesday, saying on Wednesday they were code-named "Strait Thunder-2025" and were a "stern warning" against separatism.

The drills came after Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, announced measures to counter China’s influence and espionage. Beijing also wants to send a message to Washington, analysts said.