On Wednesday, April 5th Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. In response to this meeting, China held military drills around Taiwan. The reason? Taiwan views itself as a legitimate nation, China views Taiwan as a rebellious province. The most recent time China held major drills like this was when former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

The Chinese claim on Taiwan dates back to the Chinese Civil War when the Chinese Communists rose up against the Republic of China. The Civil War ended in 1949 with the Communists controlling the mainland and the Republic of China controlling the island of Taiwan. International recognition of Taiwan quickly disappeared and culminated in 1978 when the United States withdrew from diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

These recent Chinese military drills had 35 People Liberation Army (Chinese Army) aircraft violate Taiwanese airspace. Some reports also mention 11 Chinese warships near the island. These drills mainly focused on maritime blockades and ambush assaults. If the Chinese could blockade Taiwan they would be able to cut off any incoming supplies to the island including military aid. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said, “The PLA’s exercises had destabilized the region.”

We can not predict the future. However, with the West distracted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China could take the opportunity to invade Taiwan. If they do they will undoubtedly draw the West into a conflict with China likely resulting in many casualties. The future is violent we should all be scared.