The People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) conducts live-fire exercise off the coast of Taiwan's southern Fujian province just a week after its large-scale maneuvers at sea and on land, which Beijing described as a punitive measure for Taiwan's president's refusal to recognize China's claims of sovereignty over the island, the Associated Press reported.
The live firing exercise is being held off Pingtan Island from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time, Taiwan's Maritime Safety Administration said. The service warned vessels to avoid entering the area, without releasing further details.
Taiwan's defense ministry said the Chinese maneuvers were part of an annual military exercise and that it was monitoring the actions of the PLA. “In view of the dynamics in the Taiwan Strait, it cannot be ruled out that this is one of the ways to expand the deterrent effect”, added the department.
China accepts the self-governing Taiwan as its territory, and in recent years the tension on this issue has escalated and China has increasingly organized military exercises near the island, AP commented. Last week, the PLA conducted large-scale maneuvers, rehearsing during them actions to allegedly block key ports and key areas. According to Taiwan's data, a record 153 aircraft and 14 military vessels took part in the one-day exercise.
In response, the US continued to make calls for “free navigation” through the Tavan Strait, and on Sunday, the American squadron minesweeper “Higgins“ and the Canadian frigate “Vancouver“ crossed the narrow strip that separates China from Taiwan. Last month, Germany sent two of its warships into the Taiwan Strait.