China ends day of military 'warning' drills around Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China ended a day of military drills around Taiwan on Monday in which it deployed fighter jets and warships in what Beijing said was a "stern warning" to "separatist" forces on the self-ruled island.

Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control and Monday's drills represented its fourth round of large-scale war games in just over two years.

The United States said China's actions were "unwarranted" and risk "escalation" as it called on Beijing to act with restraint.

Beijing announced at around 6:00 pm (1000 GMT), 13 hours after the drills started, that they had been "successfully completed".

The drills, dubbed Joint Sword-2024B, had "fully tested the integrated joint operation capabilities of its troops", military spokesperson Captain Li Xi said in a statement.

"Always on high alert, troops of the theater command keep strengthening combat readiness with arduous training, and will foil the 'Taiwan Independence separatist attempts'," Li said.

President Lai Ching-te, who took office in May, has been more outspoken than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in defending Taiwan's sovereignty, angering Beijing, which calls him a "separatist".

Lai vowed on Monday to "protect democratic Taiwan and safeguard national security", while the defence ministry said it had dispatched "appropriate forces" in response to the drills.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said "Taiwan independence and peace in the Taiwan Strait are irreconcilable".

Taiwan detected 125 Chinese aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, around the island between 5:02 am (2102 GMT) and 4:30 pm, a defence ministry official said, describing it as a record for a single day. Seventeen warships were also spotted.

Outlying islands administered by Taipei had been put on "heightened alert", Taiwan's defence ministry said.

Beijing said its exercises served as a "stern warning to the separatist acts of 'Taiwan Independence' forces".

The drills took place in "areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan Island", Li said earlier.

Their aim was to focus "on subjects of sea-air combat-readiness patrol, blockade on key ports and areas", Li said.

They also practised an