BEIJING: China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday as a 鈥渟tern warning鈥� after voicing anger over a stopover in the United States by the island鈥檚 vice president, William Lai.

Taiwan said its islanders will defend themselves and not be intimidated by China's forces. Taiwan officals said China should stop showing force and resort to dialogue as they are a sovereign country and we the right to establish relations with other countries

Lai, who is the frontrunner in Taiwan鈥檚 presidential election next year, stopped in New York and returned via San Francisco on a trip to Paraguay, one of a dwindling number of nations that diplomatically recognize Taipei.
China has called Lai a 鈥渢roublemaker鈥� and vowed to take 鈥渞esolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty.鈥�
On Saturday, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People鈥檚 Liberation Army 鈥渓aunched joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the navy and air force around the island of Taiwan,鈥� state media outlet Xinhua quoted military spokesperson Shi Yi as saying.
Xinhua said the drills were meant to test the PLA鈥檚 ability 鈥渢o seize control of air and sea spaces鈥� and fight 鈥渋n real combat conditions.鈥�
They also were intended to serve as 鈥渁 stern warning to the collusion of 鈥楾aiwan independence鈥� separatists with foreign elements and their provocations,鈥� it added.
China claims Taiwan and has not ruled out using force to seize it.
It launched major military exercises after Nancy Pelosi, then House speaker, visited Taiwan last year and later when President Tsai Ing-wen met top US lawmakers as she transited through the United States.
Washington had called for calm over Lai鈥檚 transit, describing the travel as routine.