China has stepped up its military deployment around Taiwan in the past 24 hours, sending 53 military aircraft and 19 ships, the island’s authorities said on Wednesday.

Taiwan said on Wednesday it had spotted 53 Chinese military aircraft and 19 ships around the island in the past 24 hours, as the Chinese military made its largest naval deployment in years.

In all, Beijing has deployed some 90 ships across a wide area of the waters of the East and South China Seas and the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from mainland China, in what Taipei called one of the largest naval manoeuvres in years.

China’s military and state media did not announce the increased activity in these areas.

But a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday that China would ‘resolutely defend’ its sovereignty.

China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and says it intends to reunify it in the future.