"The amount of coast guard integration into this exercise is remarkable because it's something we haven't seen to this level before," said Ray Powell, director of SeaLight.
"China's coast guard has become central to China's strategy of asserting its sovereignty in the places that it wants the other countries to know that it is sovereign," highlighting a shift in the agency's role.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry expressed "strong condemnation" of the drills, which have become a familiar reaction during sensitive political events around the self-governing island.
The drills included a record-breaking 153 jets buzzing around the island, showcasing the escalating military tensions and assertive posture of Beijing.
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