Military exercises this week near Taiwan were not, the defence ministry in Beijing said, “aimed at any specific target”. The timing, however, suggests that practising helicopter assaults, tank battles and beach battles was the latest attempt to intimidate Tsai Ing-wen, elected president in January and sworn in today. China fears Ms Tsai because her Democratic Progressive Party would prefer Taiwan to declare itself formally independent from China. She has no intention of doing that and insists she wants to maintain the status quo. But China wants more—for her to acknowledge that there is “one China”, even if the Taiwan part of it has its own government. The Beijing authorities hope time, diplomatic pressure and economic benefits will lure Taiwan back. But if not, it reserves the right to invade. Ms Tsai’s inauguration speech is likely to disappoint China. It is an important audience. But so are her voters.