China's military said Tuesday its army, navy and rocket forces launched a joint exercise off the coast of Taiwan in what it described as a "stern warning" to "separatist forces" looking to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Chinese officials warned that Taiwan's independence "means war" as Beijing launched large-scale military drills around the self-governed island.

The Trump administration on Tuesday issued a warning to China after Beijing announced large-scale war games in the waters and airspace around Taiwan. The joint military drills, which were launched

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday ahead of an announcement of sweeping import tariffs by the United States that the island is an "indispensable" member of the global supply chain and it would defend its companies' interests.

China launched massive surprise military drills around Taiwan days after the US defense secretary on a trip to Asia pledged to counter Chinese “aggression.” Beijing said its army, navy, and air forces surrounding Taiwan was a “stern warning” to the self-ruling island’s leaders — which Chinese state media called “parasites” who were seeking independence for Taiwan,

China launched its latest round of war games around Taiwan on Tuesday, saying on Wednesday they were code-named "Strait Thunder-2025" and were a "stern warning" against separatism.

Taiwan's stock market opened on a slight increase but Asian shares were mostly falling Wednesday, shaken by jitters over what Trump will announce.

The barges, which link up to form a bridge, could give China a way to land large numbers of vehicles and troops on Taiwan, solving a major logistical problem.