The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday launched joint live-fire assault drills in multiple locations near the island of Taiwan as a direct response to the recent collusion and provocations made by the US and the Taiwan secessionists. Experts said that the exercises practiced a vital part in the future large-scale amphibious landing operations on the island that will see the PLA seize air superiority and control of the sea, and sent a clear and powerful warning to the US and the Taiwan secessionists on the 39th anniversary of the China-US August 17 communiqué, in which the US promised to restrict arms sales to Taiwan but repeatedly broke its promise, and also at a time when the US military has lost credibility after its irresponsible, hasty and embarrassing troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.