China kicks off ‘punishment’ drills around Taiwan

China has kicked off its largest military exercises around Taiwan in more than a year, calling the drills “punishment” for what it claimed was a “provocation” from Taiwan’s new president Lai Ching-te, who took office on Monday.

The People’s Liberation Army said the exercises, scheduled to take place in waters and airspace surrounding Taiwan over the next two days, were also a “serious warning against outside interference and provocations”.

The move marks Beijing’s first military reaction to the inauguration of Lai, whom the Chinese Communist party has denounced as a “dangerous separatist”.

The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command said the army, navy, air force and rocket force would practice “seizing control of the battlefield”, striking key targets and sailing and flying close to Taiwan’s main island.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said a total of 15 Chinese navy vessels, 16 coast guard ships and 49 military aircraft had operated in the Taiwan Strait area on Thursday as of 8pm local time, with 35 of the aircraft crossing the strait’s median line.