The Chinese military on Tuesday said it had begun conducting exercises that would approach the island of Taiwan “from multiple directions,” according to a statement posted on the Eastern Theater Command’s official social media account.

China has conducted military drills around Taiwan for a second day focusing on the Taiwan Strait separating the self-governing island democracy from China that is a crucial conduit for international trade.

China's military conducted a live-fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait to simulate strikes on key ports and energy facilities, it said on Wednesday. The exercise, codenamed "Strait Thunder", is an escalation of military drills China held on Tuesday around Taiwan, the democratic island Beijing claims as its territory.

One analyst called China’s large-scale drills a “pre-invasion operation” as it ramps up attacks on Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, calling him a “parasite.”

China’s No. 3 military official appeared to have missed an annual gathering in Beijing, a rare absence that comes amid speculation he’s the latest target of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption purges.

The Chinese military has conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan as it again warned the self-ruled island against seeking formal independence.

Britain on Wednesday joined the U.S., European Union and Japan in expressing concern over Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, calling for restraint and to avoid actions that undermine peace in the region.

The drills came after Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, announced measures to counter China’s influence and espionage. Beijing also wants to send a message to Washington, analysts said.

BEIJING -- China has detained three Philippine nationals on suspicion of spying, the government and state media reported, as the countries' relations deteriorate.