The arrest on the island of Menghu comes amid China's ongoing mass military drills at several locations encircling Taiwan's main island. A statement says the man attempted to cross to the small island, which is only a few miles off the coast of China, in a rubber dinghy.

Japan has conveyed to China its concern over the military drills conducted around Taiwan on Monday, Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki told a regular press conference.

Taiwan has condemned the latest round of Chinese military drills around the island as an “unreasonable provocation” after Beijing deployed warships and fighter jets as a “stern warning” to “separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.