Ms Zhao, who calls herself “Xiaowei” online, often posts videos featuring a large Chinese flag, saying things such as: “Come on, my fellow Taiwanese, let’s unite and go home together!!!” She is one of three social-media influencers—all of them women from the Chinese mainland who had married Taiwanese men—who were told in March they were no longer welcome to live on the island.

A Chinese influencer was deported from Taiwan for backing a military seizure of the self-run democracy and has returned to her country — an episode that comes as Taipei steps up efforts to counter Beijing’s propaganda.

The Chinese military announced large-scale drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on Tuesday that include an aircraft carrier battle group, as it again warned the self-ruled island democracy against seeking formal independence.

A military aircraft is seen on a giant screen showing news footage about joint army, navy, air and rocket forces drills around Taiwan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), outside a shopping mall in Beijing,

China’s military on Tuesday said it had begun joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to “serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence”, calling Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-Te a “parasite”.

One analyst called China’s large-scale drills a “pre-invasion operation” as it ramps up attacks on Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, calling him a “parasite.”

China launched its latest round of war games around Taiwan on Tuesday, saying on Wednesday they were code-named "Strait Thunder-2025" and were a "stern warning" against separatism.

The drills came after Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, announced measures to counter China’s influence and espionage. Beijing also wants to send a message to Washington, analysts said.

Taiwan's defence ministry said on Wednesday that in the previous 24 hours it had detected 76 Chinese military aircraft and 15 Chinese military ships operating around Taiwan. China on Tuesday began its latest round of war games near the island.