On August 4th, the People’s Liberation Army kicked off the largest and most sophisticated military exercises it has ever conducted. Over a week, the Chinese launched dozens of missiles and conducted drills near Taiwan with 100 aircraft, ten destroyers and support vessels. Submarines and aircraft-carriers also played a role. Now China’s armed forces are comparable to America’s in quality and quantity. Most of its platforms are modern (of the latest technology for the relevant domain) and it boasts the largest navy in the world. Were China’s huge exercises around Taiwan just a rehearsal?

