Taiwan’s benchmark stock index briefly slipped into the red after the announcement, but closed up 0.1 per cent.
China’s Maritime Safety Administration announced late on Tuesday a closed zone for shipping due to military drills until Thursday night in an area off the north part of the eastern province of Zhejiang, more than 500km from Taiwan.
A senior Taiwan defence official told Reuters that was outside Taiwan’s “response zone”.
China’s military published a video it said was of the live fire drills that showed rockets, rather than ballistic missiles, being launched and hitting targets on land, and an animation of explosions over Taiwanese cities including Tainan, Hualien and Taichung, all home to military bases and ports.
The words “Control energy corridors, disrupt supply routes, block clandestine routes to docks” then appear on the screen.
The aircraft carrier Shandong also took part in drills, to the east of Taiwan, focused on integrated operations between naval and air forces and “multi-dimensional blockade and control”, China’s military said.
Taiwan has denounced China for holding the drills.
A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters there were more than 10 Chinese warships in Taiwan’s “response zone” on Wednesday morning, and that China’s coast guard was participating with “harassment” drills.
Taiwan’s defence ministry, detailing China’s movements over the past 24 hours on Wednesday morning, said 76 aircraft and 15 warships were involved.
China’s recent pressure against Taiwan also included a call last week for people to email reports about separatist activity.
Chiu Chui-cheng, head of Taiwan’s China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council minister, said that given the rising risk of visiting China, people should carefully consider whether they need to go, including to Hong Kong and Macau.
