Taiwan leader inspects navy as China prepares drills

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan's president has boarded a navy destroyer to review military drills ahead of planned war games by rival China.

President Tsai Ing-wen boarded the destroyer in the northeastern port of Su'ao on Friday as the island's armed forces carried out the drills simulating breaking a blockade of the self-ruled island.

China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has scheduled live-fire war games in the Taiwan Strait for Wednesday. That follows Beijing's heated objections to U.S. moves to strengthen relations with Taiwan's democratic government.

President Xi Jinping spoke about the importance of Chinese naval power while attending a massive fleet review Thursday in the South China Sea.