China kicks off military drills near Taiwan, warns island’s ‘independence’ means war

China’s military said Tuesday its army, navy and rocket forces launched a joint exercise off the coast of Taiwan in what it described as a “stern warning” against forces looking to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait.

The military drills, designed to “close in on Taiwan from multiple directions,” are a “resolute punishment” for the island’s President Lai Ching-te’s administration’s “provocations for independence,” said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

“‘Taiwan independence’ means war and pursuing that agenda means pushing Taiwanese people into the danger of war,” the spokesperson said.

The drills focused on practicing assaults on maritime and ground targets, and blockades of key areas and sea lanes to test the joint operation capabilities of its troops, Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement released by the People’s Liberation Army.

“Elements of the announcement suggest this will be large exercise,” said Lyle Morris, a senior fellow for foreign policy and national security at Asia Society. He expects the actions could be a response to Lai’s remarks made earlier this month.

The Taiwanese president called the mainland “foreign hostile forces,” drawing harsh criticism from Beijing.

China has vowed to reclaim the island, which it views as its own territory, and by force if necessary. The democratically governed island rejects Beijing’s claims.

The military exercise follows U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pledges to strengthen military ties with Japan, the Philippines, to counter China in the region and deter Beijing’s seizure of Taiwan.

During his trips to the Asian countries last week, Hegseth pledged missile systems, troops and other military resources to build up defense in the region against China. Washington would provide “credible deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific region, including across the Taiwan Strait, he said.

Hsiao Kuang-wei, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s foreign affairs ministry, said Monday that the ministry “welcomes and appreciates” the continued support from like-minded countries for maintaining the Strait’s peace and stability.

Beijing has held several rounds of military drills around Taiwan and sent fighter jets to enter its airspace since President Lai took office nearly a year ago. Taiwan officials, led by President Lai, were often characterized by Beijing as “troublemakers.”

Taiwan’s defense ministry said in a post on X Tuesday that it detected 19 ships operating around Taiwan as of 6 a.m.

It has set up a response center to monitor Chinese military activities and dispatched military aircraft, ships and activated land-based missile systems in response, the defense ministry said.