TAIPEI, Taiwan — China held live-fire drills off the coast of its southern Fujian province facing Taiwan, just a week after a massive air-and-sea drill it described as punishment for Taiwan’s president rejecting Beijing’s claims of sovereignty.

The drills were the latest show of force by China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has protested Western support for the island.

Taiwan's defence ministry said on Tuesday that live fire Chinese drills in a province facing the island are part of routine annual drills but also possibly part of China's "deterrence effect" in the waters of the Taiwan Strait.