BEIJING, August 2. /TASS/. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) began drills in the South China Sea on Tuesday amid US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan, the China Maritime Safety Administration reported.

"From 00:00 on August 2 (7:00 p.m. on Monday Moscow time) until 24:00 on August 6 (7:00 p.m. Moscow time), military exercises will be conducted in part of the South China Sea," the agency said in a statement. Entry into the specified area, the coordinates of which are listed on the website, is prohibited, the document says.

As the agency notes, the People's Liberation Army is also holding drills in Dalian (Liaoning Province, Northeast China), in the northern part of the Bohai Bay with live firing. The entrance to the specified area is prohibited.

These are not the only drills China is conducting at sea these days. On Friday last week, China began drills in four areas of the South China Sea in the waters of Guangdong and Hainan provinces. On Saturday, live-fire drills were held in the waters of eastern Fujian province, which is separated from Taiwan by a strait.

The visit to Taiwan by the speaker of the lower house of the US Congress could be the first for an American politician of such rank in 25 years. Beijing has repeatedly warned the American side that if the visit takes place, it will not go without consequences, and China will take tough measures. Washington believes that Beijing could, in light of the potential visit, take steps that would lead to a crisis, including missile launches or military drills.