Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed to defend the self-ruled island's sovereignty in the face of what he termed China's "expansionist ambitions," days after Beijing wrapped up live-fire military drills near its shores.

China-Taiwan tensions reach new heights as Beijing conducts largest military drills, responding to massive $11 billion U.S. arms package for Taipei.

During his New Year’s Eve address, Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the country’s advancements in key sectors including military tech and space exploration.

China’s military mobilized army, navy, air and rocket units around Taiwan for two days of military drills aimed at sending a “serious warning” against any push for Taiwanese independence and “external” forces interfering with the island.

Taiwan remained on high alert on Wednesday after China staged massive military drills around the island the previous day, keeping its emergency maritime response centre running as it monitored Chinese naval manoeuvres,

China's military held large-scale drills around Taiwan this week in a warning to the island's leadership and its U.S. supporter.

As Taiwan blasts China's "highly provocative and reckless" blockade rehearsal, Trump touts his relationship with Xi Jinping and says an invasion is unlikely.

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that Lockheed Martin was given a contract involving foreign military sales to Taiwan to meet what Washington calls "an urgent operational need" of the Taiwan Air Force.