The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command had conducted a combined combat-readiness patrol in the waters and airspace around the Taiwan island as a warning against recent U.S. support for "Taiwan independence" forces, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said on Wednesday.

Taiwan is a part of China, and the PLA Eastern Theater Command is determined to safeguard national sovereignty and regional peace and stability, the spokesperson said.

Later, the Chinese Defense Ministry also responded, calling the patrol a "necessary measure" to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Taiwan is a part of China, and the Taiwan question bears no foreign interference," said Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense.

He also voiced opposition to "any form of official exchanges and military ties" between the U.S. and Taiwan. "Pursuing 'Taiwan independence' is a dead end, and supporting 'Taiwan independence' is also a dead end," the spokesperson said.