China’s People’s Liberation Army conducted large-scale amphibious landing and naval formation drills on 11 July in waters off Fujian Province, directly across the 160-kilometre-wide Taiwan Strait. State media video showed tanks disembarking from landing craft and armored columns maneuvering at sea, underscoring Beijing’s ability to project force toward Taiwan. The exercise came as Chinese and U.S. foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, adding diplomatic weight to the display. It follows a wider pattern of Chinese maritime activity, including research vessels mapping seabeds around Taiwan that analysts say could aid future submarine or amphibious operations. Taiwan is running its own annual Han Kuang 41 drills from 9–18 July. Defence Minister Wellington Koo on 11 July reviewed mine-laying operations and rapid fighter turnarounds intended to blunt a seaborne assault. A day earlier, the Coast Guard’s 600-ton Anping-class patrol ship Wanli (CG-609) was fitted with eight Hsiung Feng II and eight Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, converting the vessel into a wartime strike platform within 24 hours. The simultaneous manoeuvres on both sides of the strait highlight intensifying military signalling at a moment when regional and global powers are seeking to lower tensions yet maintain readiness for a potential conflict over Taiwan.