Wall Street Journal: …On most days, military aircraft take off from China and cross the “median line” that divides the Taiwan Strait, probing Taiwan’s defenses. China’s coast guard pushes into waters around smaller Taiwanese islands. Since the summer of 2022, Beijing has launched a string of military drills with names such as Justice Mission and Strait Thunder, surrounding Taiwan with warships, jet fighters, bombers, drones and more.
…China’s round-the-clock naval patrols are more than just tools for political messaging. They offer its forces daily opportunities to gather data and experience in waters where they might one day fight. If Beijing launched an invasion across the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese navy would play a pivotal role—a contingency for which it is training…