China fires missiles on second day of military drills Taiwan calls “highly provocative and reckless”

Beijing — China launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter aircraft and navy vessels around Taiwan on Tuesday for a second day of live-fire drills aimed at simulating a blockade of the self-ruled island’s key ports and assaults on maritime targets. The two-day war games code-named “Justice Mission 2025” have been slammed by Taipei as “highly provocative and reckless.” China claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has refused to rule out military action to seize the island democracy. AFP journalists in Pingtan — a Chinese island at the closest point to Taiwan’s main island — saw a…