China announces military exercise opposite Taiwan
BEIJING (AP) — China’s government says it is conducting military exercises off its coast opposite Taiwan. The show of force comes amid tension with Washington over possible plans by a top American lawmaker to visit the island democracy, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. The official Xinhua News Agency said “live-fire exercises” were being held near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province. It warned ships to avoid the area. Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives has yet to confirm news reports she might visit Taiwan, but President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in a phone call Thursday against “external interference” in Beijing’s dealings with the island.
