Taiwan staged an air defense exercise as tension simmers over President Lai Ching- te's upcoming Pacific trip. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and regularly deploys fighter jets, drones and warships around the democratically-ruled island in a bid to keep up military pressure.

China is likely to launch military drills in the coming days near Taiwan, using President Lai Ching-te's upcoming trip to the Pacific and scheduled U.S. transit as a pretext, according to assessments by Taiwan and regional security officials.

Taiwan conducted an early morning air defense drill to evaluate its response strategies before President Lai Ching-te's Pacific trip, set to include U.S. stopovers. China is expected to hold military exercises near Taiwan,