Taiwan Strait
China staged a massive military exercise this week, simulating an all-out invasion of Taiwan. Some 18,000 Chinese troops practiced land, sea, and air maneuvers on islands in the Taiwan Strait. China usually keeps its exercises secret, but state media reported on this one—perhaps to drive home the recent vow by military chief Jiang Zemin that China will reclaim sovereignty over Taiwan by 2020. The U.S. also held a military exercise this week, the largest ever staged. It coordinated seven aircraft-carrier groups, 50 warships, 600 aircraft, and 150,000 troops all over the world, including in the western Pacific. The U.S. said the exercise was not related to the Taiwan issue, but commentators in Asia portrayed the U.S. moves as a warning to China.
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