China has fired rockets towards Taiwan as it pressed ahead with a second day of large-scale military drills, in which it also rehearsed a blockade of the self-governed island, writes Al Jazeera.

China’s military said on Tuesday it had deployed navy destroyers, bombers and other forces as part of the war games, which Beijing claims are aimed at “separatist” and “external” forces.

The drills were due to include live-fire exercises between 8am and 6pm local time (00:00 to 10:00 GMT) in five maritime and airspace zones around Taiwan, as well as air and sea patrols, simulated precision strikes and anti-submarine manoeuvres, according to Chinese state media.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said some of the live-fire drills would take place in what Taiwan considers its territorial waters, or within 12 nautical miles (22km) from the coastline, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.

Taiwan’s coastguard said seven rockets were fired into drill zone one and two. The drill zones are designated areas in the waters surrounding Taiwan that China’s military has cordoned off for live-fire exercises.

More than 80 domestic flights were cancelled on Tuesday, many to Taiwan’s outlying islands, and more than 300 international flights could face delays due to rerouted air traffic during the drills, according to Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration.

The exercises, code-named “Justice Mission 2025”, began early Monday and came days after the United States announced its largest-ever weapons package for Taiwan, worth $11.1bn.