April 13, 2018

In a surprise move, Beijing announced on Thursday that it would hold live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait next week - something that is both a message to Taipei and a show of geopolitical support for Russia during its time of friction with the United States, military observers said.

The announcement came just hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also chairs the powerful Central Military Commission, was on the southern island of Hainan to inspect the biggest naval parade in the country's history, a massive flexing of naval muscle amid China's growing rivalry with the US.

Macau-based military expert Antony Wong Dong said military conflict between the US and Russia in Syria could "break out at any time" and the drill in the Taiwan Strait was meant to be a show of support to China's strategic partner Russia, diverting attention from the crisis in Syria after US President Donald Trump threatened a strike against Syrian forces.

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http://www.businessinsider.com/china-navy-taiwan-strait-live-fire-drills-russia-syria-2018-4