Maritime Executive: China's Naval Drills Show Growing Focus on Capturing Taiwan

China's military has been conducting exercises near the self-governing island of Taiwan for years, simulating naval blockades, air incursions and landings. But a round of drills conducted last fall appeared to be a much more "focused, realistic and sophisticated" simulation of an amphibious assault on the island, down to the distances between exercise locations and the conditions found near shore, according to a new analysis by satellite intelligence firm ingeniSpace and the U.S. Naval War College. The report arrives amidst news of concern within the Pentagon about the status of U.S. interceptor and long-range strike missile stocks, which would be needed to mount a defense of Taiwan.