One week after China’s military launched massive encircling drills around Taiwan, widely dubbed in international press reports as ‘record-setting’, another round of smaller drills has kicked off Tuesday.

These new drills by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are ‘live fire’ exercises and are taking place in the disputed Taiwan Strait. Reports day they have been scheduled to last for four hours and are around China’s Niushan Island.

Illustrative: Chinese PLA helicopter over Pingtan island. AFP/Getty Images

Importantly, Niushan Island is the closest point between China’s coast and Taiwan, lying about 66 miles from the self-ruled island. The timing is also just two days after the US and Canada each sent a warship through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday.

The US Navy’s Seventh Fleet previously said the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins sailed alongside the Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver as part of the joint freedom of navigation exercises. Chinese warships monitored the pair, with the PLA saying the Western vessels “disturbed the situation and undermined peace and stability.”

Taiwan’s premier, Cho Jung-tai, downplayed the new PLA exercises as but a pointless threat. “No matter the scale of the exercises, there should not be such meaningless shows frequently or near to Taiwan,” he said. “This will only cause sudden and unnecessary tension.”

Last Monday China’s one-day military exercise were said aimed at “sealing off of key ports and key areas” of Taiwan. Though relatively short in length the exercise was massive in terms of total Chinese assets deployed, with reports tallying 153 aircraft, 14 navy vessels and 12 other government ships sent simultaneously. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping also said days ago that the the military should “comprehensively strengthen training and preparation for war, (and) ensure troops have solid combat capabilities,” according to CCTV.

Soldiers must “enhance their strategic deterrent and combat capability,” Xi added. Recent state video clips have shown him visiting troop training facilities while clad in military fatigues. Xi issues such a call for ‘greater preparedness’ for war about once a year, generating similar global headlines each time.

A visit by President Xi days ago to a land-based rocket unit…

The whole thing: pic.twitter.com/YbHNiIb6Lk

— Joel Atkinson (@Joel_P_Atkinson) October 20, 2024

In September, President Biden approved a $567 million arms package for Taiwan as part of the latest. The US has poured billions into Taiwan over the decades.

Both presidential candidates have vowed to continue strong US support to Taiwan, thus Washington policy in the Pacific region is not expected to change significantly no matter who takes office.