Xi 'tests' waters with co-ordinated missions near Taiwan days before invasion?

Taiwan has accused China of carrying out a coordinated maritime operation near the strategically important Pratas Islands in the South China Sea. According to Taiwanese officials, a Chinese coast guard vessel and a survey ship operated in the area on consecutive days, marking the first observed instance of such joint activity near the islands. Taipei described the move as a provocation and part of Beijing’s broader "grey-zone" pressure campaign. The development comes as China continues to assert its territorial claims over Taiwan and the Pratas Islands, while Taiwan insists that only its people can determine the island’s future.