China is holding military drills in waters south of Taiwan amid the escalating Ukraine crisis as the United States sailed a warship through the sensitive Taiwan Strait. The military exercise will last three days from Feb. 27 in a 6 nautical mile radius off Hainan Island, which sits at the southernmost tip of China, China’s Maritime Safety Administration announced on Feb. 25 as it warned ships to stay away. While the province of Hainan is still hundreds of miles southwest of Taiwan, the marine drill has attracted attention in the backdrop of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Beijing has long viewed the self-ruled island as its breakaway province to be reclaimed by force if necessary. With Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, questions are mounting as to whether China will be emboldened to proceed with a similar step. The island raised its alert levels since Feb. 24, when Russian forces were confirmed to …