Taiwan on Thursday said it had put its forces on alert to protect its territory after China announced the launch of surprise military drills in response to the inauguration of the new Taiwanese president.

Beijing has billed the “Joint Sword 2024A” operation, which began abruptly at 7.45am, as “punishment” for what it says are “separatist acts” in the democracy of 23.5 million.

Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, earlier denounced Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s new president, as “disgraceful”, just a day after he was sworn into office.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which claims Taiwan as its own despite never ruling there, has refused to renounce seizing the island by force. It has accused Lai of being a dangerous separatist and ignored his repeated invitations to talks.

In a defining speech on Monday to set the tone for his administration, Mr Lai told China to cease military and political intimidation of his country and respect its democracy.

The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement on Thursday that the drills would surround all of Taiwan and involve the army, navy, air force and rocket force.

The exercise is scheduled to last until Friday and will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait, the north, south and east of Taiwan, and also in areas around the Taiwan-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin.

The drills present an early test of the Lai presidency in a tumultuous first week that has also seen thousands of people take to the streets in protest at controversial opposition-led parliamentary reforms.

Taiwan has been subjected to sustained Chinese military and economic coercion tactics in recent years and officials in Taipei have indicated they were preparing for new military movements around the inauguration.

Mr Lai, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was elected in January in a poll that Beijing portrayed as a choice between war and peace.

“The ugly acts of Lai Ching-te and others who betray the nation and their ancestors is disgraceful,” China’s foreign ministry cited Wang Yi as saying this week at meeting in Kazakhstan.

In August 2022, China launched larger four-day live-fire exercises after it was angered by a visit to the island by Nancy Pelosi, the former US House speaker.

On Thursday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the latest actions by Beijing highlighted its “militaristic mentality.”