Taipei, Taiwan - China threatened Taiwan with war if it pursues independence as it launched large-scale military drills around the self-governed island Tuesday.

"'Taiwan independence' means war, and pursuing 'Taiwan independence' means pushing the people of Taiwan into a dangerous situation of war," said Zhu Fenglian, Beijing's spokesperson for Taiwan Affairs, on Tuesday.

Chinese army, navy, and air forces to surrounded Taiwan in a display of force, aimed at practicing for "precision strikes."

According to Taiwan's defense ministry, Beijing deployed a total of 19 warships around the island in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning, the largest deployed in one-go since May last year.

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"We strongly condemn the PRC's irrational provocations," Taiwan's ministry of defense said in a statement. "We firmly oppose PLA's actions that undermine regional peace."

Over the weekend, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth committed the US to ensuring "Deterrence" across the Taiwan Strait while holding meetings in Japan aimed at boosting Tokyo's military spending.

Hegseth's guarantees have not quelled fears of war in Taipei, however, with Taiwan's coast guard warning that Beijing may use drills as a "pretext" to launch "war games."

A senior coast guard official was cited by Reuters saying that China may be timing these drills to coincide with significant events and anniversaries, such as Taiwanese President Lai Ching-Te's first full year in office.

"The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Monday. "We urge certain people in the US to give up the illusion of 'using Taiwan to contain China.'"