Taiwan - China has continued to encircle Taiwan with its navy and air force, in military drills that Beijing has described as "countermeasures" against the new government in Taipei and its allies.

Ongoing war games in the Taiwan strait and surrounding waters, as well as increasingly hawkish language from representatives of the Chinese foreign ministry, have seen increasing tensions following the inauguration of new Taiwanese president Lai Ching-Te on Monday.

China's defense ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said of the so-called military drills that they were triggered by actions and views of the new president, who "has seriously challenged the one-China principle... pushing our compatriots in Taiwan into a perilous situation of war and danger."

"Every time 'Taiwan independence' provokes us, we will push our countermeasures one step further, until the complete reunification of the motherland is achieved."

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A statement from Chinese naval forces said that Beijing "continued to conduct drills on such subjects as sea assaults, land strikes, air defense and anti-submarine in the airspace and waters to the north and south of Taiwan Island."

The continuing action was described as "a bid to test the multi-domain coordination and joint strike capabilities of the theater command's troops" during potential strikes and assaults on the island of Taiwan.

On Thursday, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka, deputy commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, spoke to Australia's National Press Club, saying: "There's no surprise whenever there’s an action that highlights Taiwan in the international sphere the Chinese feel compelled to make some kind of form of statement."

His comments triggered a response from China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin in his daily press briefing, where he once again stressed that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory" based on both history and status quo.

"The joint drills of the PLA Eastern Theater Command are a necessary and legitimate move to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, crack down on 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and their separatist moves, and send a warning to external interference and provocation."