The Chinese army has started a new round war games near Taiwansimulating a blockade of its ports and attacks on sea and land targets, saying it was a warning of “secessionist activities by Taiwan Independence Forces” and not giving any date for when they might end.

Democratically ruled Taiwan, which China considers its own territory, has been on alert about the possibility of new war games since President Lai Ching-te gave a National Day speech last week, a speech that Beijing has since condemned. Lai said China has no right to represent Taiwanalthough she offered to cooperate with Beijing.

In a statement issued at 5 a.m., the Chinese Army’s Eastern Theater Command said the exercise “United Sword-2024B” They occurred in the Taiwan Strait and in areas north, south and east of Taiwan.

“The exercise also serves as a stern warning to the secessionist actions of Taiwan independence forces. “This is a legitimate and necessary operation to protect state sovereignty and national unity,” he said in a statement released in Chinese and English.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry strongly condemned China’s “irrational and provocative actions,” adding that it had deployed its own forces.

From Beijing, Chinese authorities have repeatedly said that Taiwanese independence is unacceptable and that they do not rule out the use of force to prevent secession. Ties between China and the island of Taiwan, which it considers another province under its sovereignty, were severed in 1949 after the forces of the nationalist Kuomintang party were defeated in a civil war against the Communist Party and moved to the archipelago. Relations were restored only on a business and informal level in the late 1980s.

Information: Reuters and Europa Press.