The drills underscore China’s persistent efforts to pressure new Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. They were named “Joint Sword-2024B,” following on from the “2024A” exercises held right after his inauguration in May.

Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te has said he will stand against any attempt at annexation or encroachment into the island’s territory. China claims the self-ruled democracy as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its goal of unification.

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a view Lai and his government reject. Giving a keynote national address outside the presidential office in Taipei, Lai reiterated that the Republic of China - the island's formal name - and the People's Republic of China are "not subordinate to each other".