Newsweek
Date: 1/12/21
By: John Feng

Taiwan's defense ministry says it is "closely monitoring" Chinese military activities around the island after the People's Liberation Army conducted a series of live-fire drills ahead of a high-profile visit to Taipei by a Trump administration official.

United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft is scheduled to spend three days meeting Taiwanese officials—including Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and foreign minister Joseph Wu—between January 13 and 15, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou told Newsweek on Friday.

Craft will become the first serving U.S. representative to the U.N. to visit Taiwan since Taipei's withdrawal from the international body in 1971, Ou noted.

Major media outlets in Taiwan, however, have focused on a pair of "pincer-like" military exercises conducted north and south of the island. PLA Navy warships fired missiles during drills in the East China Sea, while the Chinese army trained troops in island assault operations off the coast of Fujian province—nearest to Taiwan—China's state broadcaster CCTV reported Monday.    [FULL  STORY]