BEIJING, April 10. /TASS/. Exercises being conducted by China’s People’s Liberation Army near the island of Taiwan are a necessary measure for protecting China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on Monday.

"It is a serious warning against any attempt at collusion between the separatist forces calling for ‘Taiwan’s independence’ and external forces aimed at creating a provocation. It is a necessary measure for protecting China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," he pointed out.

Wang stressed that adherence to the One-China principle "is the general consensus of the international community and a universally recognized basic norm of international relations."

The drills are taking place in the wake of a foreign trip by Tsai Ing-wen, head of the Taiwanese administration, whose itinerary included a stopover in the United States. On Wednesday, Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the US House of Representatives, held a meeting with Tsai, after which the US emphasized the need to continue weapons sales to Taiwan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a protest, saying that Beijing would take effective and decisive retaliatory measures.

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait escalated following the visit of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last August. Several delegations of US lawmakers and governors have also made trips to Taiwan. China views such visits as provocations constituting interference in its domestic affairs and support for Taiwanese separatists.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 but Beijing regards the island as one of its provinces. Washington remains Taiwan’s main supplier of weapons and military equipment.