The State Department last week approved a $2.2 billion weapons deal with Taiwan prompting condemnation from Beijing.
Major Chinese military drills held along the country's southeast coast may have been designed as a threat to pro-independence forces in Taiwan, as tensions between the two nations mount amid a new weapons deal with the U.S.newspaper—in which the ruling Communist Party often airs its more hawkish sentiments—said Monday that the military exercises could be connected to the proposed $2.2 billion U.S.-Taiwan arms deal approved by the State Department last week.
'"military insider" said it was unusual for the ministry to proactively announce such drills."Anything the Defense Ministry releases is no small matter, it must be big," the source said. The insider added,"The more Taiwan secessionists stir up trouble and the more foreign support Taiwan secessionists receive, the sooner the day arrives when China becomes reunified."
Beijing was also angered by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's transit through the U.S. on her way to meet with representatives of several Caribbean nations. Though the State Department described her visit as"private and unofficial," her presence in the country demonstrated continued solidarity between Washington and Taipei.
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