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China holding live-fire naval exercises north of Taiwan

China regularly holds drills along its coast, especially in the East China Sea

SHANGHAI, June 13. /TASS/. China’s People's Liberation Army Navy is holding a series of live-fire exercises in several areas of the East China Sea, the country’s Maritime Safety Administration said in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.

The statement points out the coordinates of the areas closed to navigation, which particularly include those north of the island of Taiwan near the city Taizhou in the Zhejiang province. Drills there began at 11:30 a.m. local time (03:30 GMT) and are scheduled to end at 3:00 p.m. (07:00 GMT).

More exercises kicked off in the same area early in the morning and will last until 9:00 p.m. local time (13:00 GMT).

China regularly holds drills along its coast, especially in the East China Sea. Reports about China’s increasing military buildup in the region started coming after the April 5 meeting between US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Tsai Ing-wen, head of the Taiwanese administration, who "transited" through the United States. The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a protest, saying that the meeting violated the one-China principle.

On April 8-10, China’s Eastern Theater Command conducted drills in the Taiwan Strait and in waters north, south and east of the island. The drills were designated "Joint Sword" and patrols around Taiwan were conducted in parallel.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 but Beijing regards the island as one of its provinces. Washington remains Taiwan’s main supplier of weapons and military equipment.

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