China’s decision to bring serious firepower to bear for military drills in the waters off Taiwan this week has deep roots both in the past several weeks and the past several decades

The Chinese People's Liberation Army is currently conducting the largest military exercises China has ever held around Taiwan.

For decades, China’s People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, has marshaled resources, technology and political will to achieve its vision of a world-class military. “The PLA is a key component of China’s ambition to displace the United States as the world’s most powerful nation,” according to the DOD report.

China launches biggest military encirclement of Taiwan in 8 months with live-fire drills, rockets and warships in massive 'Justice Mission 2025' exercise.

A military that looks formidable on paper – but has never truly been tested in combat – is a recipe for catastrophic strategic miscalculation. China hasn’t fought a conflict since 1979, when it invaded Vietnam and lost. Almost no one in a Chinese uniform today has seen combat.

As Taiwan blasts China's "highly provocative and reckless" blockade rehearsal, Trump touts his relationship with Xi Jinping and says an invasion is unlikely.

Simultaneous disruption and progress, with a relentless Taiwan-focused capability development deadline. That’s the overriding theme of the 25th edition of

The Pentagon said China has the world's leading hypersonic missile arsenal for conventional and nuclear strikes.

Analysts hold out little hope that security pressures will ease, given US insistence that regional allies boost first island chain defences.