China's military on Thursday vowed to defeat all attempts at secessionism and urged the United States not to send the wrong signals on Taiwan independence, ahead of a trip by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te to Hawaii as part of a Pacific tour.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te will stop over in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam during a trip to the Pacific, his office said Thursday, eliciting a fresh vow from China to "resolutely crush" any attempts for Taiwan independence.

Analysts say Taiwan can use Lai’s trip to show its commitment to its Pacific allies and Taipei can contribute to the fight against climate change in the Pacific region

Taiwan's military held an early morning air defence drill on Thursday to test its response and engagement procedures, ahead of a trip by President Lai Ching-te at the end of the week to the Pacific that will include stopovers in Hawaii and Guam.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te will stop over in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam during a trip to three Pacific island nations, the Presidential Office said Thursday.

China is likely to launch military drills in the coming days near Taiwan, using President Lai Ching-te's upcoming trip to the Pacific and scheduled U.S. transit as a pretext, according to assessments by Taiwan and regional security officials.

While Taiwan's president plans a visit to Hawaii and Guam, China is likely planning military drills in response. Lai Ching-te's stopovers in the US state and territory as part of a weeklong Pacific tour to begin Saturday allows the president to shore up relations with US leaders even though the countries lack formal diplomatic ties.