One of the key goals of the upcoming Chinese naval drills scheduled to be held in the Taiwan Strait is a show of support for Russia over the latter’s standoff against the United States in Syria, the South China Morning Post reported citing a source "close to the PLA."
"[US President] Donald Trump’s warning of military attacks on Syrian forces was a bit of a surprise for Beijing and Moscow … As Russia’s strategic partner, Beijing is trying to cause some well-timed and controlled trouble for the US, a drill in the Taiwan Strait being the most plausible option that will benefit both Xi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin," the source said.
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China Military, a newspaper linked to the People's Liberation Army, reported that 48 warships, 76 fighter aircraft and more than 10,000 PLA Navy personnel participated in the exercises.