The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday launched joint live-fire assault drills in multiple locations near the island of Taiwan in response to recent collusion and provocations by the US and Taiwan secessionists.

The PLA Eastern Theatre Command on Tuesday dispatched warships, anti-submarine warfare aircraft and fighter jets in surrounding maritime and aerial areas near the southwest and southeast of the island of Taiwan for military exercises including joint live-fire assaults, and also for testing the command troops' integrated joint operation capabilities, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson of the command, announced on the same day.

Recently, the US and Taiwan authorities have been frequently colluding and making provocations, sending wrong signals that severely violates China's sovereignty and seriously damage peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. They have become the biggest source of security risk in the region, Shi said.

The exercises are a necessary action taken based on the current security situation in the Taiwan Straits and the need to safeguard national sovereignty, and are a solemn response to the foreign interferences and the provocations by "Taiwan independence" forces, the spokesperson said.

The PLA Eastern Theatre Command will continue to boost its war preparedness and related training, and is determined and capable of crushing any "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Shi said.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry gave a short, muted response, saying, "The nation's military has a full grasp and has made a full assessment of the situation in the Taiwan Strait region, as well as related developments at sea and in the air, and is prepared for various responses".

The PLA statement noted that recently the United States and Taiwan have "repeatedly colluded in provocation and sent serious wrong signals, severely infringing upon China's sovereignty, and severely undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".

"This exercise is a necessary action based on the current security situation across the Taiwan Strait and the need to safeguard national sovereignty. It is a solemn response to external interference and provocations by Taiwan independence forces."

It was not immediately clear what set off the flurry of Chinese military activity, though earlier this month the United States approved a new arms sale package to Taiwan, an artillery system valued at up to $750 million.

China believes Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is a separatist bent on a formal declaration of independence, a red line for Beijing. Tsai said Taiwan is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name.

Washington has expressed its concern about China's pattern of intimidation in the region, including towards Taiwan, reiterating that U.S. commitment to Taiwan is "rock solid".

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