China rehearses 'sealing off' Taiwan, US deploys naval destroyer

A China Coast Guard ship sails towards the zone where China said it would conduct live fire exercises northeast of Pingtan island, the closest point in China to Taiwan, in China's southeast Fujian province on April 10, 2023. - AFP

PINGTAN, China (AFP): China simulated "sealing off" Taiwan during a third day of wargames around the self-ruled island on Monday (April 10), as the United States deployed a naval destroyer into Beijing-claimed waters in a show of force.

China launched the exercises in response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen last week meeting US House speaker Kevin McCarthy, an encounter it had warned would provoke a furious response.