China starts new drills around Taiwan with no end date

China's military started a new round of war games near Taiwan and offered no date for when they may conclude, drawing condemnation from the self-ruled island.

The Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command said on Monday the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills were taking place in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan.

"It is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity," it said in a statement in Chinese and English.

The command published a map showing nine areas around Taiwan where the drills were taking place — two on the island's east coast, three on the west coast, one to the north and three around Taiwan-controlled islands next to the Chinese coast.

Chinese ships and aircraft are approaching Taiwan in "close proximity from different directions", focusing on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, blockading key ports and areas, assaulting maritime and ground targets and "joint seizure of comprehensive superiority", the command said.

'Blatant provocations'

Taiwan's China policy-making Mainland Affairs Council said that China's latest war games and refusal to renounce the use of force were "blatant provocations" that seriously undermined regional peace and stability.

In the face of the further political, military and economic threats posed by China to Taiwan in recent days, Taiwan would not back down, Taiwan's China-policy-making Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement.

"President Lai (Ching-te) has already expressed his goodwill in his national day speech and is willing to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait together with the Chinese communists," it added.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it had dispatched its own forces. China held the "Joint Sword-2024A" drills for two days around Taiwan in May shortly after Lai took office, saying they were "punishment" for separatist content in his inauguration speech.

Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. He says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.

While Taiwan has its own government, military and currency, it has never declared formal independence from mainland China.