China's launches drills around Taiwan to "severely punish" the island's pro-independence leader, as the U.S. boosts its war footing in Japan to deter Chinese "aggression."

Following Japan's condemnation of China's recent military exercises near Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry firmly rejected Japan's criticism, stating that it violated the "one-China principle" and emphasised that China's military actions were legitimate and necessary to safeguard national sovereignty.

China's military concluded two-day war games around Taiwan in which it held long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, marking an escalation of exercises around the island.