In a significant move on Monday, China's coastguard vessels circled Taiwan and staged patrols close to Taiwan's offshore islands of Matsu and Dongyin, entering the "restricted waters" of Matsu island for the first time to "tear up" boundaries set by Taiwan authorities, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Thousands of US and Filipino marines launched 10 days of joint exercises in the northern and western Philippines on Tuesday, a day after China held huge drills around Taiwan. The joint US-Filipino exercises come amid a series of escalating confrontations between China and the Philippines over reefs and waters in the South China Sea,

Scores of Chinese aircraft and dozens of ships surrounded Taiwan, after President Lai Ching-te rejected Beijing’s claim over the island.