China launched military exercises around Taiwan on Monday, with planes and ships encircling the self-ruled island, according to Beijing’s Defence Ministry, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported.

These drills, part of China’s ongoing show of force, mark the fourth round of large-scale military operations in the past two years.

The exercise, titled Joint Sword-2024B, is designed to “test the joint operations capabilities of the theatre command’s troops,” the ministry said.

According to Captain Li Xi, a spokesperson of the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command, the drills are taking place in “areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan Island,” as reported by CNA.

Li explained that the drills focus on multiple areas, including “sea-air combat-readiness patrols, blockades of key ports and areas,” and the “assault on maritime and ground targets.” The exercises also involved the “joint seizure of comprehensive superiority.”

China’s military presence around Taiwan has increased significantly in recent years, with frequent flights and naval maneuvers around the island’s waters.

Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.

In the wake of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s speech during the island’s National Day celebrations last week, both the US and Taiwan urged China to hold off on any aggressive actions. Lai, who has taken a stronger stance on defending Taiwan’s sovereignty than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, angered the Chinese government, which labels him a “separatist,” reported CNA.

In his speech, Lai emphasized Taiwan’s resistance to any attempts at annexation, stating that “Beijing and Taipei were ‘not subordinate to each other’.”

In response, Beijing called the drills a “stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces” and affirmed that the exercises were “a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity.”

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te also expressed a desire for “healthy and orderly dialogue and exchanges” with China. He urged Beijing to play a constructive role in ending conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Despite Taiwan’s robust governance and military, it has never formally declared independence from China, which continues to push for Taiwan’s exclusion from international platforms and diplomatic recognition.