China deployed one of its two "monster ships" from the coast guard during the country's military exercise surrounding the self-ruled island of Taiwan on Monday for the first time. The one-day Joint Sword-2024B exercise was held in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north,

The drills were seen as a response to a speech by President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan, who said last week that China had “no right to represent” the island.

China's military started a new round of war games near Taiwan on Monday, saying it was a warning to the "separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces". Taiwan's defence ministry expressed its strong condemnation of China's "irrational and provocative act".