China begins two days of live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait, according to reports from both outlets. The drills start on the same day the coverage notes follow-on regional developments, including recent diplomatic engagement between the United States and China. Rappler links the timing to talks between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held on the sidelines of an ASEAN-related meeting in Manila, where both sides discuss broader issues. Free Malaysia Today also describes the announcement as coming shortly after U.S.-China discussions covering a range of topics, including democratically governed Taiwan.
Across the reporting, Taiwan is described as a central point of contention: China claims Taiwan as its own territory. The drills take place amid heightened attention to cross-strait security and tensions, but the sources provided do not detail the specific locations, military assets involved, or any immediate response from Taiwan or other governments within the excerpts.
