Taiwan’s military will hold a five-day combat readiness drill this week, the defence ministry said yesterday, as part of modernisation plans to shift its training focus to more realistic exercises simulating war, away from setpiece events.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory despite the objections of the government in Taipei, says China’s armed forces routinely operate in the skies and seas around the island in an effort to pressure it to accept Chinese sovereignty.

Taiwan’s military has begun basing some of its drills on a scenario in which China suddenly turns one of its regular exercises around the island into an actual attack.

The “Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise” would start on Monday and run until Friday, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The announcement came on the same day the ministry said China had sent another large number of military aircraft into the skies near Taiwan.

There were 21 aircraft, including J-16 fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and Y-20 aerial refuelling aircraft, it added.