TAIPEI (AFP) — China’s military said it practiced hitting key ports and energy sites during “live-fire” drills Wednesday as part of exercises aimed at Taiwan, the democratic island it claims as its own.

The surprise maneuvers were criticized by Washington as “intimidation tactics” and come after Taiwan President Lai Ching-te called China a “foreign hostile force.”

Named “Strait Thunder-2025A”, the drills are located in the middle and southern parts of the strait, the military said, which is a vital artery for global shipping.

The military said it held “long-range live-fire drills” and practiced hitting “simulated targets of key ports and energy facilities” during the exercises.

Wednesday’s exercises aim to “test the troops’ capabilities” in areas such as “blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets”, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson of the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command.

Taipei has condemned China’s drills.

The island of 23 million people is a potential flashpoint between China and the United States (US), which is Taiwan’s most important security partner.

The US State Department said Beijing’s “aggressive” military activities and rhetoric towards Taiwan “only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the region’s security and the world’s prosperity at risk.”

Chinese leaders vigorously oppose Washington’s support for Taiwan and detest Lai, who they call a “separatist.”

Drills in the strait come a day after China sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for exercises Beijing said were aimed at practicing for “precision strikes” and a blockade of the island.

That prompted Taipei to dispatch its own air and maritime forces as part of a “Rapid Response Exercise.”

Taiwan’s defense ministry said Tuesday China had deployed 21 warships around the island, including the Shandong aircraft carrier group, along with 71 aircraft and four coast guard vessels.

That was the highest number of warships detected during a single day in nearly a year, and the most aircraft since October 2024.

China’s Eastern Theater Command kept up its propaganda on Wednesday, posting a “Paralyzing Strikes” poster on its Weibo account, showing Chinese forces surrounding Taiwan and firing missiles at the island.

Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the PLA National Defense University, warned Taiwan was vulnerable to supply disruptions due to its lack of energy and other resources.

“In the end, it will be the regular people of the island who suffer,” Meng said in a video carried by state broadcaster CCTV.