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The United States says it is deeply concerned about recent military drills carried out around Taiwan.
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China argues the two-day drills, which were a simulation on how to seize power, were punishment for Taiwan, insisting it will not bow to pressure from Beijing.
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In Taiwan, a delicate peace looks a little more fragile.
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The self-governed island has a new leader, one China sees as a reckless separatist.
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For two days, Beijing tried to show the world how it could and would wage and win a war here.
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This is Keelung, a naval base.
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The closest Beijing's aircraft got to Taiwan's coast was about 45 miles from here.
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Ki-ming Wu has seen decades of tension.
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To him, it feels like a farce.
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Do you think conflict with China is a real possibility?
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China is huge.
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Taiwan is just such a tiny place.
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One lake in China is ten times bigger than Taiwan.
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Do you think this land is of any benefit to them?
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But to Beijing, it is critical.
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Reunification, inevitable.
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The latest drills, punishment for Taiwan talking about two separate countries.
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It is about more, though, than just vitriolic bluster.
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There is definitely a sense here that if Beijing was to make a military move, it would be catastrophic.
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But there is also a kind of fatigue that seems to have set in, particularly among young people, a sort of collective roll of the eye every time the rhetorical cannons are fired.
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Back in the harbour, everyone's looking elsewhere, trying to tune out of chat about China.
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After so many years of military exercises, people have just become used to it, and they don't think China will actually attack.
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I'm more worried about China influencing and infiltrating Taiwanese politics than I am about war.
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But the US says Beijing may be on track to be ready to attack Taiwan by 2027.
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Do you think that Beijing is preparing for war?
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Certainly, yes.
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China is preparing for war.
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Based on the number of military ships and the hiring of new recruits, it's all for self-defence and Taiwan.
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Conflict looks very costly and risky for Beijing right now, though.
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It may well opt to just squeeze this island rather than seize it.
