China’s Navy Drills Near US Allies Seen as Test for Trump

The People’s Liberation Army has conducted shooting drills off the coasts of Australia, Vietnam and Taiwan over the past week. While the Chinese actions took place in international waters off Australia and Taiwan, they raised concerns over Beijing’s intentions — and whether the US will respond. 

“This is China testing the waters to see where the new boundaries are now that we are in the Trump 2.0 era of amorphous and pay-to-play US security guarantees,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. 

President Donald Trump’s sudden outreach to Russia, his ramped-up criticism of long-standing NATO allies and moves to raise tariffs have fueled doubts about whether the new administration remains a trusted security partner in other parts of the world. 

Beijing has taken notice of the cracks in US alliance, with a Thursday commentary from the official Xinhua News Agency warning that “being America’s ally is fatal.”

Read: New Zealand Tells China of Concerns About Live-Firing In Tasman

While China …