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.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is preparing to sound a warning about China’s plans to exert more pressure on the archipelago he leads, including militarily.Lai is set to give his first National Day address on Thursday morning in which he’ll point to a range of tactics used by Beijing,