Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Thursday it had spotted a record number of Chinese warships and aircraft off the island's coast. In the past 24 hours, 16 warships and 34 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft have been spotted near Taiwan. A Taiwanese security official said the maneuvers were part of Beijing's largest naval exercises in years.

The exercises, according to Taiwanese authorities, cover an area from Japan's southern islands to the South China Sea. They involve about 90 military and coastal ships, and simulate attacks on foreign ships and the blocking of sea routes. The exercises began in October and have become a demonstration of China's ability to blockade Taiwan and establish new "red lines" in the region.

Taiwanese experts say the exercises are on a larger scale than China's response to then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, which was the largest ever around Taiwan.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's visit to the United States, which included stops at two American territories, has drawn sharp criticism from Beijing. China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, views the moves as a provocation and a violation of its sovereignty. A Taiwanese security official said the exercises were part of Beijing's attempt to demonstrate its military might ahead of a change in U.S. administration.

Neither Chinese state media nor military authorities have made official statements about the exercises, and China's Foreign Ministry has accused Taiwan of creating tensions, while avoiding confirming or denying the drills.

The U.S. diplomatic mission in Taiwan said it was closely monitoring PLA activity in the region. U.S. officials noted that China's level of military activity was on par with that seen during other major exercises.