We have received a statement from the office of Taiwanese President William Lai.

Lai's office said China should "respect the people of Taiwan's choice of a free and democratic way of life, refrain from military provocations".

It said maintaining peace and stability on both sides of the Taiwan strait is a "common responsibility".

"Our government will continue to defend our constitutional system of democracy and freedom. We are confident and capable of safeguarding national security," it said.

The Taiwanese defence ministry has just issued a new statement denouncing what it calls China's "irrational and provocative" military manoeuvres today, while also making it clear it wants to avoid any direct clashes.

It accuses China of undermining the security situation in the region and threatening the rules-based international order, while instructing its own forces to respond in a way which "does not escalate" the situation or risk direct clashes.

All branches of Taiwan's armed forces have been ordered to review troop strength, while its military intelligence units are closely monitoring any movement of Chinese missiles.

Outlying island defence zones have been placed on "heightened alert" and aircraft and ships have been deployed, the ministry said.

The ministry also warned the Taiwanese population to be vigilant over any potential misinformation issued by China.

China's military exercises are happening on all sides of Taiwan today, with this map from Chinese state media showing how the drills have encircled the island.

Image source, China People's Liberation Army

The graphic shows how China's exercises have gradually moved closer to the island's shores.

The location of today's drills are shown in red. Shown in yellow are the locations where drills were held in May this year, while locations in blue show where drills were held in 2022.

Image source, China People's Liberation Army

Risk of miscalculation as tensions continue to risepublished at 04:27 British Summer Time 14 October 2024

04:27 BST 14 October 2024

Stephen McDonell
China correspondent

According to the Chinese military, these exercises are a dress rehearsal for attacking Taiwan from all sides.

It says these drills involve all parts of the People's Liberation Army and they are practicing acting in unison. Anyone can see that is what would happen if the day came when the Chinese government was going to try to take Taiwan by force.

The Taiwanese government has responded by saying these new drills are a provocation.

We are seeing a lot of these Chinese military exercises. Although they seem to be getting bigger, they are a pretty regular occurrence.

Today's doesn't necessarily mean there is going to be an imminent war.

However, Taiwan says it is preparing its own troops in response, just in case - and you have to worry that there could be a miscalculation on either side that leads to actual shooting.

That is the big worry.

Taiwan's transport ministry says air traffic and port operations remain "normal" despite the military drills off the coast.

It says several government agencies are closely monitoring the situation in order to protect lives and property, as well as the smooth operation of traffic and transportation.

Public departure and arrival boards for Taoyuan International Airport, the island's largest airport, show some minor delays but no major disruption.

Following the release of China's video promoting its military capabilities, the Taiwanese military shared its own clip on Monday morning.

Taiwan's Military News Agency, which posted the video X, said the island's military is prepared to defend its sovereignty.

The Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command released a training video on the eve of today's exercises around Taiwan.

It flexes Beijing's military muscle - warships, fighter jets, armoured troop carriers, missile launchers and amphibious landing vehicles.

State-run media outlet Global Times said the video highlights the command's "readiness and ability to engage in combat missions".

It is entitled Zhen Ge Dai Dan, which means "resting on a dagger axe and waiting for the dawn".

Image source, People's Liberation Army social media

These aggressive drills were widely expectedpublished at 03:35 British Summer Time 14 October 2024

03:35 BST 14 October 2024

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
in Taipei

When China carried out its military exercises in May after Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te was first inaugurated, it labelled them Joint Sword 2024A.

Lai is absolutely loathed by the Communist regime and that was their response to him becoming president.

Because there was an A, we always thought there was going to be a B. That is what we are seeing today.

But while these drills were widely expected, if you look at the deployment and how close Chinese ships and aircraft are to Taiwan - as well as the very fiery rhetoric - this is very, very aggressive behaviour.

In any other context, this would be seen as a dramatic escalation of tensions - but it comes against the backdrop of tensions that were already very high.

We have just heard from Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, which has issued a "strong condemnation for such irrational and provocative behaviour" by China.

The ministry said it has "dispatched appropriate troops to protect freedom democracy and sovereignty".

It also said President Lai's speech last week highlighted his commitment to maintaining "peace and stability".

In the face of threats, the ministry said it will "prepare for war without asking for war".

The Chinese military confirmed these drills were being carried out around five hours ago in a statement shared on social media and elsewhere.

It gives some insight into why and how the exercises are taking place from the perspective of the government in Beijing.

The statement says the drills involve the army, navy, air force, rockets force and others. We've since learned the Chinese coastguard is also taking part.

It says ships and aircraft "approached... from multiple directions" and "conducted joint assaults". The exercises are focused on combat readiness, blockades of key ports and areas, sea and land strikes, and "seizing comprehensive control rights", the statement continues.

The Chinese military described the drills as a "strong deterrent to the separatist forces" and a "legitimate and necessary action to defend national sovereignty and maintain national unity".

Remember, the Chinese government does not recognise Taiwanese sovereignty and claims the island as its own.

Image source, EPA

In his most high-profile public address since taking office earlier this year, Lai has pledged to uphold Taiwan's self-governing status.

He vowed to "uphold the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty", in a thinly-veiled reference to China's claim over the island.

Lai's public comments until now are regarded by many political observers as going further than anything said by his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, who was much more cautious in her public speeches.

Analysts had expected Beijing to respond to Lai's most recent speech with military drills, like it did in the days that followed his inauguration.

In spite of his administration's more confrontational tone, however, Lai has stressed his position of maintaining the "status quo" between Taiwan and China.

China's claim over self-governed Taiwan is at the heart of the issue.

Beijing sees the island as a breakaway province that will, eventually, be part of China. It has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this.

But many Taiwanese consider themselves to be part of a separate nation - although most are in favour of maintaining the status quo, where Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it.

Here's more on the China-Taiwan tensions.

Here's what we know so far about China's latest military drills:

• China has launched new war games off the coast of Taiwan, further ratcheting up tensions between the two governments
• Warships and fighter jets are taking part in the drills, which Beijing has dubbed Joint Sword 2024B
• Taiwan says it has detected 25 aircraft, seven naval vessels, and four other ships
• The drills are taking place in nine locations around the island and simulate an assault on Taiwan, the Chinese military has said
• China's coastguard has also dispatched fleets of vessels to conduct "inspections" around the island
• It comes days after Taiwan's president gave a strident speech saying his government would not accept Chinese control
• China has carried out major war drills around Taiwan before, and claims control over the democratic island

This is a developing situation - we'll bring you the latest as we get it.

Good morning. China has just started military drills around Taiwan, which it says should serve as a "warning" to those pursuing independence for the democratically self-ruled island.

The exercise, dubbed Joint Sword 2024B, comes just four days after Taiwanese President William Lai delivered a major speech where he vowed to resist "annexation" by Beijing.

Join us as we cover the drills from our Asia bureau in Singapore, with live updates and analysis from our correspondents on the ground.