self-governed

Chinese military drills off the Taiwanese coast have intensified in recent years as its claims over the self-governed island have grown.

The exercises reinforce what is at the heart of the issue: China's claim over self-governed Taiwan.

Beijing's claims over self-governed Taiwan have been another source of strain.

Japan in recent years has significantly reinforced its defenses in southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and its outer islands that are considered strategically key in response to growing Chinese assertiveness and tensions around Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by Beijing.

China has also imposed sanctions against some U.S. aerospace and defense manufacturers to retaliate against sales of weapons to Taiwan, a self-governed island it claims as its territory.