BEIJING/TAIPEI, July 24, 2026 — China has begun two days of live-fire military exercises in parts of the Taiwan Strait, prompting Taipei to accuse Beijing of increasing regional tensions.
Chinese maritime authorities said the drills would operate daily from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. around Dongshan Island, near the coasts of Fujian and Guangdong provinces.
The exercises began one day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed several issues, including Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan part of Chinese territory, while Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects that sovereignty claim.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry described the exercises as a military provocation and called on China to end its coercive and “gray-zone” activities.
The drills follow China’s large-scale exercises around Taiwan in December, which were conducted after Washington announced an $11.1-billion arms package for the island.
Why it matters: Military activity around Taiwan increases the possibility of miscalculation in a region central to global semiconductor manufacturing and U.S.–China relations.
