Taipei residents shrug off PLA drills near Taiwan as mainland Chinese public back Beijing’s actions

As mainland China continued joint military drills around Taiwan on August 9, 2022, people in Taipei were cautiously confident about Taiwan’s defence capabilities. Beijing has said it will continue joint defence and blockade operation drills around Taiwan after holding unprecedented live-fire exercises in the area. The PLA had earlier set August 7 as the end date for the drills ordered in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunited by force if necessary. It warns against official ties with Taiwan, which most countries do not recognise as a sovereign state.