China has deployed scores of naval vessels across East Asian waters in its largest-ever maritime show of force, as a diplomatic spat with Japan over Taiwan thickens. Though Chinese military drills around Taiwan are nothing new, the timing and size of the latest exercises may be significant. They come in the wake of comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, implying the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait. Her comments have drawn criticism at home and abroad.