Taipei, Taiwan - Taiwan's defense ministry reported on Thursday that Chinese warplanes and vessels were still operating around the island, days after Beijing said its war games had officially ended.

The ministry said 26 aircraft and seven vessels were detected in the last 24 hours, as of Thursday morning local time. Among these, 14 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

The ministry on Wednesday said that 35 aircraft and eight Chinese vessels were detected in the previous day.

China's military muscle flexing serves to intimidate Taiwan and warn against independence efforts, as well as sending a message to the US to back off.

China Blinken calls for better cooperation with Beijing on high-stakes China tour

The country staged three days of large-scale military drills in response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's controversial meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week.

Beijing said the exercises ended on Monday, but there were reports it was planning to declare a three-day no-fly zone over the north of Taiwan next week. The duration has since been reduced to 27 minutes, according to the Guardian.

Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the self-ruled democracy part of its territory