Upping the ante: Key takeaways from China’s major drills around Taiwan

China’s largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan have not only raised regional tensions — they have also provided analysts with potential insight into how Chinese forces might operate around the self-ruled island in case of a conflict.

At the same time, the multiday maneuvers, launched in retaliation for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei last week, have resulted in Sino-U.S. ties — widely seen as the defining bilateral relationship of the first half of the 21st century — dropping to a new low.