China launched live-fire military drills on Monday to simulate a blockade of Taiwan, days after the US announced its largest-ever arms sale to the island nation.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own, deployed troops, warships, fighter jets and artillery for its “Justice Mission 2025” drills.

It also issued a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference forces”.

Taipei condemned the drills and responded by deploying soldiers and US-made hardware to rehearse repelling an attack.

China has long called for a “peaceful reunification” with the island, but has refused to rule out using military action to seize it.

The drills were carried out after the Trump administration approved an £8bn weapons package and weeks after Japan said that it might intervene in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said any attempts to stop Beijing’s unification with Taipei would fail.

Taiwan said it had detected four Chinese coastguard ships sailing off its northern and eastern coasts early on Monday, and had deployed vessels and forces in response.

It later said it had identified 89 Chinese military aircraft as well as 28 warships and coastguard vessels.

Beijing’s Eastern Theatre Command said it concentrated forces to the north and south-west of the Taiwan Strait, carrying out live firing and simulating strikes on land and maritime targets.

Authorities added that further live-fire drills would be conducted from 8am to 6pm local time on Tuesday in five zones.

Senior Col Shi Yi of the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command said the drills would focus on “sea-air combat readiness patrol, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, blockade on key ports and areas, as well as all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain”.

He described the strikes as “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces and... a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity”.

Beijing’s military released a poster of the drills showing “arrows of justice” raining down on what appeared to be green worms on a geographical outline of Taiwan, with one engulfed in flames.

Taipei’s defence ministry responded by saying the drills further confirmed the Chinese Communist Party’s “nature as an aggressor, making it the greatest destroyer of peace”.

Karen Kuo, a spokesman for Taiwan’s presidential office, also condemned China’s “disregard for international norms and the use of military intimidation to threaten neighbouring countries”.

Analysts have said the drills increasingly blur the line between routine ‍military training and potential stage-setting for an attack, a strategy intended to give the US and its allies minimal warning of an assault.

The Chinese military last held large-scale drills involving live firing around Taiwan, which has been governed separately since 1949, in April.

In December, China promised to take “resolute and forceful measures” to safeguard its territory after Taiwan said the US had approved the $11bn (£8.2bn) arms sale. Beijing issued fresh sanctions on 20 American defence companies.

Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, also triggered a backlash from Beijing last month when she said the use of force against Taiwan could warrant a military response from Tokyo.

China demanded that she retract her statement, summoned Tokyo’s ambassador and warned its citizens against travelling to Japan.