simulated a complete naval blockade of Taiwan - the latest in a string of aggressive war games.

Beijing's military described the threatening exercises as a warning to the self-governing island nation, declaring in a statement: 'The theatre's troops are ready to fight at all times and can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of ''Taiwan independence'' and foreign interference attempts.' 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sees Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought back under Beijing's control - something the authoritarian president Xi Jinxing has said he's willing to do by force

But Taiwan's elected Democratic Progressive Party steadfastly argues it presides over a self-governing, democratic, capitalist society with overwhelming support from its people. 

Taiwan has long been allied with the US and has a bristling military arsenal equipped with state-of-the-art American air and sea defence systems, manned by highly trained troops.

But the island's landmass and military might are simply dwarfed by the behemoth that is China and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). 

Here, Mail Online examines the discrepancies between Beijing and Taipei's armed forces and explores how a potential invasion of the island by President Xi's troops could play out.