and offered political supporttsai met mccarthy outside los angeles on her way home from a visit with two allied countries in central americain august last year china deployed warships missiles and fighter jets around taiwan in its largest show of force in years following a trip to the island by mccarthys predecessor nancy pelositsai meeting with mccarthy in the united states rather than in taiwan was viewed as a compromise that would underscore support for the island but avoid inflaming tensions with beijingbut china had repeatedly warned against any meeting and began the latest war games soon after tsai returned to taiwantsai responded to the drills by pledging to work with the us and other likeminded countries in the face of continued authoritarian expansionismmondays exercises were to include livefire drills off the rocky coast of chinas fujian province about 80 kilometres south of the matsu islands and 190 kilometres from taipei maritime authorities said on saturdaythe local maritime authority said the exercises would be held between 700 am and 800 pm around pingtan a southeastern island that is chinas nearest point to taiwana video published monday to the chinese eastern theatre commands official wechat account showed a pilot saying he had arrived near the northern part of taiwan island with missiles locked into placein another video with dramatic orchestral accompaniment an officers piercing whistle sends military personnel running into position as a simulated barrage on taiwan unfolds on screen