China began a two-day military operation around Taiwan on Thursday morning, sending warships and planes to patrol the island as "severe punishment" for "separatism", state media reported.
The military exercise took place three days after Lai Chengde was sworn in as the autonomous island's new president.
China recognizes Taiwan as part of its territory and calls Jimmy Lai a "dangerous separatist" who will bring "war and decline" to Taiwan. China, which broke away from Taiwan after the war in 1949, views Taiwan as a renegade state that will eventually be forced to rejoin it and refuses to rule out the use of force to complete integration.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly in recent years as China has increased pressure on the island's independence, and concerns have sometimes been raised about the possibility of being affected.
The exercise, called "United Sword 2024A" to be held on Thursday and Friday, will "focus on joint naval and air defense blockade, joint battle management, and joint focus on major targets," Xinhua News Agency reported.
"The Eastern Command of the People's Republic of China launched a joint military exercise around the island of Taiwan at 07:45 (2345 GMT) on Thursday." said the news agency, adding that the training took place in the USA. Eastern Theater Command. North, south and east of Taiwan Island.
Xinhua said the drills will also be held around Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin Island.
According to Xinhua News Agency, military spokesman Li Xi said that the exercise "includes instructions for ships and aircraft to patrol the area around Taiwan Island and conduct joint operations inside and outside the island to test the unity of the real army."
The spokesman said that this exercise is also a severe punishment for the separatist behavior of the "Taiwan independence" forces and a strict warning against interference and violence from the other side.
- 'Real war' -
The last time China announced a similar military action around Taiwan was in August last year, when then-Vice President Lai Chi was in the US on a visit to Paraguay.
The exercise also tested the People's Liberation Army's ability to "seize air and sea superiority" and fight "in war", according to state media.
Beijing called this a "serious warning" at the time.
The court in California watched a simulated island siege exercise carried out in April by Jimmy Lai's boss, Tsai Ing-wen, who met with Kevin McCarthy.
Following US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China also launched a large-scale military operation in 2022.
An exercise was also held in the country, then-President Tsai Ing-wen later toured the United States.
World powers want to see as much stability as possible between China and Taiwan, especially since Taiwan plays an important role in the world economy.
The Taiwan Strait is one of the world's most important maritime trade routes, and Taiwan itself is a major producer of semiconductors, especially tiny chips used in everything from smartphones to missile systems.
