The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army launched on Saturday joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the Navy and Air Force around the island of Taiwan, the spokesman of the command said.

Senior Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesman of the PLA's Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement that the move is a severe warning for "Taiwan independence" separatists that have stepped up their collusion with foreign forces to provoke the Chinese mainland.

The exercises will focus on the coordination of naval and air forces and acquire controls of targets. It's a test for the theater's joint operation capacity in actual combat, Shi said.