China holds military drills near Taiwan after vice president's US visit

China launched a series of military exercises around Taiwan as an angry response towards the island's separatist forces, after the recent visit of Taiwan's Vice President William Lai to the United States.

China regards Taiwan as its own territory, and Beijing hasn't ruled out using force to seize control of the democratic, self-governing island, which has support from the US. 

During recent years, Beijing has increased military activities close to the island as a reaction to what it considers "collusion" between Taipei and Washington.

The military drills were called a"stern warning" to separatist opponent forces of China on the island state, reported Al Jazeera.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command, responsible for the area around Taiwan, said in a brief statement on Saturday morning that it was carrying out joint naval and air combat readiness patrols around Taiwan.

The PLA would be holding joint naval and air force exercises focused on subjects such as ship-aircraft coordination to test seizing control of air and sea spaces, and “actual combat capabilities”, the eastern theatre command added.

“The armed forces' ability to fight in real combat conditions will be tested”, a spokesperson for the eastern command told China’s state-run Xinhua news.

“The patrols and exercises serve as a stern warning to the collusion of Taiwan independence separatists with foreign elements and their provocations,” the spokesperson said.

On Saturday, Taiwan's defence ministry fiercely denounced China's most recent military exercises close to the island, declaring that it will send the necessary forces to retaliate and that it had the capability, desire, and confidence to maintain national security.

“The launch of the military exercise this time not only does not help peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait but also highlights [China’s] militaristic mentality,” the ministry said in a statement.

Taiwanese officials and analysts had said that the recent military action carried out by China was provoked by Taiwan's Vice President William Lai's visit to the United States. 

China’s foreign ministry issued a statement to coincide with Lai’s arrival in the US, saying it was opposed to any form of a visit by “Taiwan independence separatists” to the US.

“Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through,” the ministry said.

US President Joe Biden, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned Beijing’s “dangerous and aggressive” behaviour in the South China Sea in a joint statement and said they were resolute in their “determination to uphold regional security, strengthen Indo-Pacific engagement, and promote common prosperity”.

Last year, China began days of extensive military exercises near Taiwan in reaction to Nancy Pelosi, the then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives, visiting Taipei.

Due to Pelosi's visit, China conducted military drills for an unprecedented six days that included the J-20 stealth fighter plane and conventional missile test firings.