BEIJING - The latest military drills conducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan Island were a stern warning to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and external interference, said a mainland spokesperson on Wednesday.

The drills were a necessary and just move to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Zhang Han, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

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Zhang made the remarks in response to a media inquiry regarding drills code-named "Justice Mission 2025" around Taiwan Island, which were conducted by multiple forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command on Monday and Tuesday.