Beijing is "looking for a reason" to continue putting pressure on Taiwan, using President Lai Ching-te's National Day speech as a "pretext" for launching drills around the island, says Chong Ja Ian, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. "Perhaps, if they can continue issuing threats and use coercive force without actually breaking into violence, that's one way they believe that might get people on Taiwan to give up and to accept their terms," Chong tells AFP. SOUNDBITES