In thirteen hours, the military exercise was conducted, where Taiwan was surrounded by a record number of Chinese fighter jets. Drones, fighter jets, helicopters, and coastguard vessels also participated in the exercise.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense counted 125 Chinese fighter jets – a new daily record, according to the ministry.
China's Ministry of Defense later declared on Monday that the exercise had been "successfully" concluded and that Beijing had sent "a stern warning to separatists" in Taiwan.
China emphatically claims that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
Threatening with Violence
"We sincerely strive for a peaceful reunification, but we will never promise to renounce the right to use violence – and we will not allow any form of 'Taiwanese independence'", said Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's military.
The reaction from Taipei was sharp, and they called the exercise both provocative and irrational.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-Te, who was sworn in in May, has been more outspoken than his predecessors regarding the country's sovereignty. This has upset Beijing, which labels Lai as a separatist. On Monday, Lai promised to protect Taiwan during China's exercises.
The US also directed sharp criticism at the exercise, which they call unjustified. Washington, which stands as a guarantor that Taiwan will not be invaded by China, warns that China's maneuvers risk escalating tensions.
The EU also urges all parties to exercise restraint.
Recurring Exercises
Monday's large-scale Chinese military exercise was the fourth of its kind in the past two years.
Taiwan simultaneously stated that a Chinese man had been arrested on the small island of Menghu after what was described as a possible Chinese incursion.
But in Taipei, residents took the latest Chinese show of force with calm:
I don't think I'll panic, since it's quite frequent for China to conduct military exercises, said engineer Benjamin Hsiao to news agency AFP.
The dispute over Taiwan dates back to the Chinese Civil War, when the nationalist army led by Chiang Kai-Shek was defeated by Mao Zedong and the communist forces. The nationalist army retreated to Taiwan in 1949, and since then, China and Taiwan have had separate governments.
