and Taiwan, raising the potential risks of a conflict or miscalculation, former officials and experts say.

During the 1995-96 crisis, in an echo of current tensions, China staged live-fire military drills, issued stern warnings to Taipei and launched missiles into waters near Taiwan.

The carrier Nimitz and other battleships sailed through the narrow waterway that separates China and Taiwan, driving home the idea of America's military dominance.

military's high-tech display in the first Gulf War, "went to school on the American way of war" and launched a concerted effort to invest in their military and — above all — to bolster their position in the Taiwan Strait, Kroenig said.

The Chinese military now is "very formidable especially in and around home waters, particularly in the vicinity of Taiwan," said James Stavridis, a retired four-star admiral and former commander of NATO. .

China is currently building amphibious vessels and helicopters to be able to stage a possible full-scale invasion of Taiwan, experts say, though whether the PLA is capable of such a feat remains a matter of debate.

and Taiwan now have to take into account a much more lethal and agile Chinese military that can deny America the ability to deploy warships or aircraft with impunity, and even to operate safely from bases in the region, Funaiole and other experts said.

China once lacked the capability to conduct a major exercise in waters east of Taiwan, experts said.

China on Thursday fired at least 11 ballistic missiles near Taiwan, with one flying over the island, according to officials in Taipei.

The White House said Thursday that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier would remain in the region as China carries out its exercises around Taiwan to "monitor the situation." But National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that a previously scheduled ICBM test had been postponed to avoid any misunderstanding.

Despite the tough rhetoric between the two powers and the mounting tensions, China is not looking to start a war over Pelosi's visit and is seeking to stage a show of force, not an invasion of Taiwan, former U.S.

But China's newfound military might prompt overconfidence in Beijing's decision-making or lead to a cycle of escalation in which each side feels compelled to respond to show resolve, former officials said.

There is a risk that Xi could underestimate U.S.'s resolve, and that he believes there is a window of opportunity to seize or blockade Taiwan in the next few years before American investments in new weapons alter the military balance, said Flournoy, now chair of the Center for a New American Security think tank?

need to bolster their military forces to deter Beijing and raise the potential cost of any possible invasion or intervention against Taiwan