The Washington Post
Date: April 13, 2018
By: Associated Press

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, left, boards a Kidd-class destroyer during a navy exercise in the bound of Suao naval station in Yilan County, northeast of Taiwan, Friday, April 13, 2018. Taiwan’s Armed Forces showed their capabilities of defending the Taiwan Strait with warfare involving submarine, surface ships with helicopter and Air Force strikes ahead of another drill conducted by China next week. (Chiang Ying-ying/Associated Press)

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen reviewed military drills Friday ahead of planned war games by China amid rising tensions between the rivals.

Tsai went aboard a U.S.-made destroyer in the port of Su’ao as the island’s armed forces simulated breaking a blockade of the self-ruled island.

China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has scheduled live-fire war games in the Taiwan Strait for next Wednesday. That follows Beijing’s heated objections to U.S. moves to strengthen relations with Taiwan’s democratic, independence-leaning government.

Despite a lack of formal ties, Washington is legally bound to respond to threats to Taiwan and is the island’s main supplier of foreign military hardware.    [FULL  STORY]