The Chinese People's Liberation Army said it started the drills at 7:45 a.m. It said the maneuvers would surround all of Taiwan -- to the north, east and south, in the Taiwan Strait and near the islands of Kinmen, Matsu and Dongyin. The PLA said the drills would run through Thursday and Friday.
After the announcement, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense "expressed regret for such irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability."
Lai, who hails from the Beijing-skeptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was sworn in as Taiwan's leader on Monday. In his inaugural speech, he urged Beijing to recognize the existence of Taiwan and said that "the Republic of China and People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other," using each side's formal name.
Li Xi, a spokesperson for the PLA's Eastern Theater Command, said the exercises -- named Joint Sword-2024A -- would include army, navy, air force and rocket force personnel, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. "The drills also serve as a strong punishment for the separatist acts of 'Taiwan independence' forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces," the report said, citing Li.
Communist-ruled China views Taiwan as part of its territory, although it has never controlled it, and has refused to rule out taking control of the self-ruled democratic island by force. Beijing considers Lai a "separatist," and this week, its Foreign Minister Wang Yi called him "disgraceful."
Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo told local media Thursday afternoon that a response center has been established, and that he had been at the center before attending a cabinet meeting. The ministry "will inform me of the latest situation at any time," he said, according to Taiwanese media FTV.
Later, the ministry said that it had detected 49 sorties of Chinese fighter jets since the morning, of which 35 flew over the median line of the Taiwan Strait "and its extension lines into the northern, central and southwest airspace to cooperate with the joint warships in the 'Joint Sword-2024A' military exercise."
It said that Taiwan is using "joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance methods to closely monitor the situation, and dispatches mission aircraft, ships and shore-based missile systems to respond appropriately."
China has repeatedly applied military pressure against Taiwan as its race with the U.S. for supremacy escalates. Beijing also conducted live-fire military drills around Taiwan in the summer of 2022, soon after then U.S. House of Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. It carried out significant drills in 2023 as well.
The Taiwanese ministry on Thursday said: "In recent years, the CCP has continued to send aircraft and ships to harass [Taiwan], which has caused substantial damage to global peace and stability. This pretext for conducting military exercises not only does not contribute to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but also highlights its hegemonic nature."
The ministry added that sea, air and ground forces will be dispatched to respond, and practical actions will be taken to "protect freedom, democracy and the sovereignty of the Republic of China."
Meanwhile, China's Fujian Coast Guard on Thursday also said it launched a "comprehensive law enforcement exercise" in waters around Kinmen and Matsu. Tensions near Kinmen have been particularly high since February, when a boat capsized near the islands after being chased by Taiwan's coast guard, resulting in the deaths of two Chinese crew members.
Beijing's move this week comes as Taiwanese politicians are also busy with a showdown over controversial bills the opposition coalition is attempting to force through the Legislative Yuan, where it holds a majority. The proposals, which would give the legislature new investigative powers and challenge Lai's presidency, have sparked large public protests.
Responding to news of the Chinese drills, Alexander Huang, a senior official from the China-leaning main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), told reporters, "We urge the new administration, especially the new national security adviser Joseph Wu and the new Defense Minister Wellington Koo, to take their responsibility to defend Taiwan, and we stand by our troops."