[Source: BBC]
China is gearing up for military exercises in the seas around Taiwan following top US politician Nancy Pelosi’s trip to the island.
Ms Pelosi left on Wednesday after a brief but controversial visit to Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province.
In response, China announced five days of “necessary and just” military drills, which will begin on Thursday.
Taiwan said 27 Chinese warplanes had already entered its air defence zone.
On Wednesday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had scrambled jets to warn them off.
The ministry later added that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown over the outlying Kinmen islands, Reuters reported. It said the military fired flares to drive away the aircraft and stayed on alert.
China has said the exercises will take place in some of the world’s busiest waterways and will include “long-range live ammunition shooting”.
