China conducts live-fire drills in Taiwan Strait

China's military commenced a live-fire exercise near Taiwan on Tuesday, intensifying pressure on the self-governing island following large-scale drills and President Xi Jinping's call for troops to prepare for potential conflict.

This month China sent planes and warships around the island in what Beijing said was a "stern warning to the separatist acts of 'Taiwan Independence' forces", News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

On Monday, the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) in the eastern island of Pingtan announced that "gun firing" would take place in a limited area close to the Chinese mainland, about 105 kilometres (66 miles) from Taiwan.

The MSA said they would start at 9:00 am local time (0100 GMT) and take place for four hours in an area encompassing about 150 square kilometres (60 square miles).

Pingtan is the closest point in mainland China to Taiwan's main island.

Maritime authorities did not say which Chinese force would carry out the live firing, or its objective.

In response to the drills, Taiwan's defence ministry said it was closely monitoring China's "military activities and intentions".

Taipei said the exercises could be part of Beijing's "tactics to bolster its intimidation in conjunction with the dynamics in the Taiwan Strait".

Premier Cho Jung-tai described them as a "threat that undermines regional peace and stability".

Over the weekend, a US and a Canadian warship passed through the 180-kilometre Taiwan Strait , part of regular passages by Washington and its allies meant to reinforce its status as an international waterway.

Beijing condemned the passage as disrupting "peace and stability" in the strait.

China sent a record number of military aircraft as well as warships and coast guard vessels to encircle Taiwan on October 14 in the fourth round of major drills in just over two years in the area.

News.Az