Taiwan’s leader, President Tsai Ing-wen, criticized China’s recent military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, accusing the nation of not behaving responsibly as a major Asian power. The drills came as retaliation for a meeting between Tsai and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which China had interpreted as encouraging support for Taiwanese independence. Despite surveys showing an overwhelming majority of Taiwanese favoring the current de facto independence, China views any push for formal independence as a justification for war. The United States is Taiwan’s primary ally, though no explicit commitment of military forces is required.