Taiwan activates its defence forces amid China drills

China - which claims Taiwan as part of its territory - has denounced Lai's speech as a "confession of independence". Beijing's drills began Thursday morning and are taking place in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island, China's People's Liberation Army said. In response, Taiwan's armed forces dispatched "aerial, naval and land assets", Taipei's defence ministry said in a statement.