China Holds Military Drills Around Taiwan After US Arms Deal

China kicked off military maneuvers around Taiwan that it said included live-fire drills, in a dramatic show of force after the US announced one of its biggest arms packages ever for the self-run democracy.

The “Justice Mission-2025” exercises, the first major drills off Taiwan since April, began on Monday and served as a “stern warning against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces and external interference,” Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement.