China is conducting its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, favoring the scenario of a blockade of the island it vows to one day reclaim.

On Saturday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense accused Chinese planes and ships of conducting mock attack drills. Several Chinese planes and ships have been spotted in the Taiwan Strait, and some have crossed the median line, an unofficial buffer that separates the two sides, according to the ministry.

Taiwan’s armed forces have deployed patrol ships and put shore-based missiles on standby.

Defense industry official dead in hotel

A Taiwanese official in charge of various missile projects was found dead early Saturday in a hotel room in southern Taiwan. Ou Yan Lisin, deputy head of the National Institute of Science and Technology, which runs the military, was 57 years old. The cause of his death is unknown, according to the official Taiwanese news agency.

The US, Australia and Japan are calling on China to end the training

The foreign ministers of the US, Australia and Japan have called on China to immediately stop military exercises around Taiwan.

In a joint statement, they “expressed concern over the recent actions of the People’s Republic of China, which seriously affect international peace and stability.” They also “condemned China’s launch of ballistic missiles, five of which, according to a Japanese government report, landed in its exclusive economic zones, heightening tensions and destabilizing the region.”