China has conducted military exercises around Taiwan, simulating a blockade of the island that Beijing seeks to take over — a test of the Trump administration’s resolve to defend the self-governing territory.

The Chinese military announced large-scale drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan that include an aircraft carrier battle group, as it again warned the self-ruled island democracy against seeking formal independence.

There is a storm brewing across the Taiwan Strait. China has increased its military activity around Taiwan and deployed new landing barges in the South China Sea, while the counter-influence policies of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and shifts in US rhetoric are viewed as provocations by Beijing – fuelling a vicious circle of tensions.