For months in the mid-1990s, China conducted military exercises and missile tests near Taiwan. It lobbed short-range ballistic missiles in the waters near the self-ruled island, and rehearsed amphibious landing exercises.

That crisis was sparked by Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's visit to his alma mater, Cornell University, in the summer of 1995. In Beijing's eyes, Mr Lee was a separatist, and months later as Taiwan was about to conduct its first direct presidential election, Beijing launched more missiles to warn voters against voting for him.