China Coast Guard sent its ships on Tuesday to conduct law-enforcement patrols surrounding Taiwan Island, according to a spokesman.

Zhu Anqing, spokesman of the China Coast Guard's East China Sea Bureau, said in a statement that several flotillas have patrolled waters around Taiwan Island and carried out drills such as inspection, interception and detention operations against unwarranted vessels. 

"Taiwan is a province of the People's Republic of China. These operations are concrete actions to exercise legitimate jurisdiction and control over Taiwan Island in accordance with the one-China principle," the spokesman said.