China announces end of large-scale military drills near Taiwan

China's military on Wednesday announced the completion of its exercises in areas encircling Taiwan that began last week in response to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled democratic island.The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a statement it will continue to monitor any changes in the Taiwan Strait and regularly conduct patrols in the waters, fueling speculation that Beijing may be seeking to normalize its military pressure in the area.About 20 Chinese navy and Taiwan navy ships remained close to the median line of the T…READ FULL ARTICLE