The President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen has come hard on China over its three days of military exercises which commenced around the self-ruled island, insisting that they were irresponsible and a threat to regional stability.

Beijing had concluded up its war games, which simulated strikes on the territory of 23 million people, on April 10 although Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that eight Chinese vessels continued to operate ‘in the waters surrounding Taiwan’.

The drills began after Tsai returned home from a visit to Central America, during which she stopped over twice in the United States and held a high-profile meeting with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy.

Tsai, portrayed as a ‘separatist’ by China, said visits to friendly countries were a “long term practice” and expected by the people of Taiwan.