The drills come three days after the self-governed island's new leader, William Lai, assumed office.

Zhang Zhan spent four years in jail after providing critical coverage of the response to Covid-19.

Police say the female suspect allegedly used a fruit knife in the attack which left 10 others hurt.

He urged Beijing to replace confrontation with dialogue, shortly after being sworn in on Monday.

For years, Western spy agencies have talked of a need to focus on China, but senior officials say the threat has not been taken seriously enough.

Last week, Washington announce new tariffs on Chinese imports including electric cars and solar panels.