Exercises timed to hurt US credibility: analystsAWKWARD TIMING: Holding the drills during the US holiday period ‘ensured Washington would struggle to coordinate an immediate reply,’ one US analyst saidStaff writer, with CNAChina’s military exercises around Taiwan this week were deliberately timed and framed to provoke only a minimal response from the US, hurt US credibility and punish Taiwan for buying weapons from Washington, US-based analysts said on Tuesday. The flags of Taiwan and the US are pictured at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on March 27, 2018. Second, Fedasiuk said the exercises were “timed to provoke minimum US response.”Holding the drills during the US holiday period “ensured Washington would struggle to coordinate an immediate reply,” Fedasiuk said. The exercises also allowed the PLA to prepare for a potential military campaign against Taiwan, he added. Trump on Monday said he was aware of the exercises, but not concerned, adding that China has conducted naval drills in the region for years.
