China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since 1949, but Beijing considers it part of its territory and has refused to renounce the use of force to bring the island under its control.

The early morning exercise was aimed at testing "the response and engagement procedures of air defence units", Taiwan's Air Force Command said in a statement.

"Various types of aircraft, ships, and air defence missile systems were deployed from 5:00 am to 7:00 am," the statement said, without providing details.

The last time the Air Force Command held such drills was in June, a month after Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office.

Taiwan lives under the constant threat of a Chinese invasion and has ramped up defence spending in recent years to strengthen its military capabilities.

The island has a home-grown defence industry but also relies heavily on arms sales from Washington, which is Taiwan's most important partner and biggest provider of weapons and ammunition.

China regularly deploys fighter jets and warships around Taiwan and engages in what Taipei describes as "grey zone" harassment -- a tactic that falls short of an act of war.