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China continued military drills “near Taiwan” on Aug. 8, a day after its scheduled exercises were meant to end.

End of the beginning

China announced that the People’s Liberation Army would hold military exercises from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7; in retaliation for United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s unscheduled visit to Taiwan.

Taiwan is considered by China to be a renegade province, and the mainland government has often said that it intends to take control of the island, either peacefully or by force.

Bloomberg reports that despite the end of the scheduled exercise period, the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command said it had conducted “antisubmarine and naval strike exercises in the air and sea space near Taiwan”, without giving an exact location as to where.

It was also not stated whether the exercises were part of the four day drills that China’s official news outlets described as an “effective blockade” of Taiwan island.

The four-day drills have involved numerous aircraft flying sorties, some over the median line bisecting the Taiwan Strait, and perhaps most worryingly, missile tests some of which may have overflown Taiwan island.

Some of these missiles appear to have landed in waters claimed by Japan, drawing them into even fiercer condemnation of the exercises.

Speaking to Mothership previously, Chen Ching-Chang, Professor of International Politics at Japan's Ryukoku University, suggested that China’s retaliation would extend beyond the four designated days. Monday’s exercises appear to be an indication of this.

Chen said that China’s exercises were only one element of China’s retaliation, including de facto economic sanctions and cyber attacks that would likely continue for months, if not years.

According to Reuters, China's state media said on August 7 that "regular" drills will be held east of the unofficial "median line". Prior to recent exercises, the line was rarely crossed by the militaries on either side of the Strait.

Meanwhile, according to CNA, Taiwan's army is holding live-fire drills of its own. These anti-landing exercises will simulate attacks on Taiwan and be carried out on Aug. 9 and Aug. 11 in the southern part of Taiwan, involving hundreds of troops and about 40 artillery pieces.

It's unclear where China is conducting extended exercises, according to the new announcement of the Eastern Theater Command, but Taiwan also has some ongoing live-fire activities. pic.twitter.com/IzAx79oz4W

— Duan Dang (@duandang) August 8, 2022

Shipping is healing

However, despite the continuation of drills, shipping to and from Taiwan appears to be returning to normal.

Bloomberg reports that shipping vessels have resumed travel through some of the six zones demarcated by the PLA for military exercises.

Over 40 ships are reported to have moved through the southern zone that was closest to Taiwan island that effectively blockaded the port of Kaohsiung.

While Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has noted the presence of Chinese military assets near Taiwan, China has not issued new navigation warnings for areas near Taiwan.

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Top image via @duandang/twitter and @MoNDefense/twitter