China makes love and war with Taiwan
The government in Beijing tests the armed forces—and its own messaging
CHINA’S WAR games around Taiwan on October 14th broke records for a single-day drill. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) employed 153 aircraft. Taiwan’s defence ministry also spotted 26 ships, including a Chinese aircraft-carrier. As if that were not enough, China’s coastguard carried out an unprecedented patrol around Taiwan’s main island, calling it a “practical action to control Taiwan island in accordance with the law based on the one-China principle”.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Love, war and drills”
From the October 19th 2024 edition
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