Taiwan holds drills amid Pelosi visit concern, China tension

BEIJING (AP) — Taiwan’s capital is staging air raid drills and its military is mobilizing for routine exercises. The display is coinciding with concerns over a forceful Chinese response to a possible visit to the island by U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. There was no direct link between China’s threats and Taiwan’s civil defense drills. But along with the mobilization of planes, tanks and troops, they underscore the possibility of a renewed crisis in the Taiwan Strait, considered a potential hotspot for conflict that could envelop the entire region. Pelosi has not confirmed when, or even if, she will visit, but President Joe Biden last week told reporters that U.S. military officials believed such a trip was “not a good idea.”