China in second day of 'Joint Sword' military drills encircling Taiwan

A Taiwan Air Force F-16 aircraft takes off in Hualien, Taiwan, on Sunday, April 9, 2023. - Reuters

BEIJING, April 9, 2023 (AFP): Chinese fighter jets and warships simulated strikes on Taiwan Sunday as they encircled the island during a second straight day of military drills that were launched in response to its president meeting the US House speaker.

The exercises sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington, which said it was "monitoring Beijing's actions closely".