Why China is holding military drills around Taiwan — and the history behind it

China’s military drills near Taiwan this week mark a significant escalation in long-standing tensions between Beijing and the self-governing island. The decision to deploy substantial military assets in waters surrounding Taiwan stems from both recent diplomatic confrontations and decades of historical grievances.

Taiwan has been a focal point of China’s territorial claims since 1949, when the island split from mainland China following the Chinese Civil War. After Mao Zedong’s communists defeated the Nationalist Kuomintang forces, the latter fled to Taiwan and established a separate government. Despite Taiwan’s evolution into a thriving democracy with its own governance structures, Beijing has consistently maintained that the island is an inseparable part of Chinese territory.

The relationship between mainland China and Taiwan has grown increasingly complex over time. Taiwan finds itself in a precarious diplomatic position, with only 11 United Nations member states and the Vatican maintaining full diplomatic relations with Taipei. The United States, while ending formal diplomatic recognition in 1979, remains committed to Taiwan’s defense through various agreements and arms sales.

For Beijing, Taiwan represents both a strategic concern and a matter of national pride. Strategically, China has historically struggled with maintaining control over its territorial boundaries—a concern that extends to regions like Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Taiwan’s proximity to mainland China, coupled with the island’s close relationship with the United States and Japan, amplifies Beijing’s security apprehensions.

On the pride front, Chinese leadership views Taiwan as an internal matter and rejects any suggestion of Taiwanese independence. The government vigorously opposes international representations that portray Taiwan as a separate country, from maps and graphics to the island’s Olympic team, which competes under the name “Chinese Taipei.”

The current military exercises appear to be a direct response to recent developments involving Japan and the United States. Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made unusually forceful comments suggesting Japan might intervene militarily if China threatened Taiwan. “If it involves the use of warships and military actions, it could by all means become a survival-threatening situation,” Takaichi stated, marking a significant departure from the more cautious rhetoric of her predecessors.

These remarks struck a particularly sensitive chord given the historical tensions between China and Japan. Many Chinese citizens still harbor deep resentment over Japan’s brutal occupation of parts of China before and during World War II—a period that began after Japan had already colonized Taiwan in 1895. The Chinese government frequently emphasizes these historical injustices through state-controlled media.

Adding fuel to the fire, the U.S. State Department recently announced plans to sell Taiwan a weapons package valued at over $10 billion—potentially the largest arms deal between the countries in history. The proposed sale includes medium-range missiles, howitzers, and drones, surpassing the $8.4 billion in arms provided under the Biden administration.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun condemned the arms sale, warning that it would push the Taiwan Strait “toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war.” Beijing views such support as encouraging separatist tendencies in Taiwan and undermining China’s territorial integrity.

As tensions escalate, Taiwan finds itself at the center of a geopolitical struggle involving the world’s major powers. While China continues to assert its claims through increasingly assertive military displays, the United States and its allies remain committed to maintaining Taiwan’s de facto independence. This delicate balance grows more precarious with each provocative statement or military demonstration, raising concerns about potential conflict in one of Asia’s most volatile regions.