Taiwan says it won't respond as Chinese navy drills to 'encircle' island

April 8 (UPI) -- Taiwan's government said Saturday it will refrain from making any provocative moves during Chinese military exercises near the island launched on Saturday.

Chinese military announced the drills, dubbed "united sword," in a statement carried by official media.

The drills come as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen returns from a diplomatic visit to the United States where she met with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Taiwanese Premier Chen Chien-jen said his government would refrain from provocations but called for restraint from China.

"The People's Liberation Army is deliberately creating tensions on the Taiwan Strait," the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said in a statement. "Besides damaging peace and stability, it also creates negative impact on regional safety and development."

The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said 45 Chinese plans entered their self-declared air defense identification zone.

Beijing had warned of "strong and resolute measures" in retaliation if Ing-wen went ahead with her visit.

The PLA's eastern theatre command said the exercises are "a serious warning against the Taiwan separatist forces' collusion with external forces."

The official Chinese Xinhua News Agency said the drills would last from April 8 through April 10.

According to eastern theater command, the drills are intended to practice "encircling" the Island of Taiwan.

Shortly after the announcement, Chinese state media broadcast images purporting to show footage of the "united sword drills and combat readiness patrol."

China frequent mobilizes massive military forces in response to U.S. officials meeting with Taiwanese counterparts. In August the Chinese military held drills in response to then-U.S. speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, going so far as to fire missiles over Taiwan.

The Taiwanese government responded to the latest Chinese drills with indignation, while the Mainland Affairs Council, which is charged with cross-strait affairs, also released a statement condemning Beijing's move.

"Neither side of the Taiwan Strait belongs to the other, and that is an objective fact held by the Taiwanese people that no amount of coercion can change," the MAC said.