China concludes three days of military drills around Taiwan

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Chinese fighter jets patrolled around Taiwan. Associated Press/Photo by Ng Han Guan

China concludes three days of military drills around Taiwan

China’s military on Monday said it is combat-ready after completing a three-day military exercise that Chinese state TV said simulated blockading Taiwan. The drills are retaliation for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting last week with United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. At least 12 Chinese ships and 91 military aircraft were spotted around the island on Monday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said. Chinese forces conducted similar drills last August when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei.

What else is happening in China? Two Chinese human rights lawyers on Monday were each sentenced to more than a decade in prison on charges of “subversion of state power.” Both men are part of the New Citizens Movement, which had sought greater transparency into the wealth of Chinese officials, Reuters news agency reported. The Human Rights Watch advocacy group has called for their immediate release.

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong’s report in World Tour on the Chinese Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church finding freedom in the United States.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.