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China is set to carry out live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, local media in the self-governed island said citing several Chinese news outlets.
The development comes just after warships of the US and Canada sailed through the contested waters in the Taiwan Strait on Sunday and following a mega military exercise a week ago by Beijing. Live-fire exercises are set to take place in a limited area in the waters near Niushan Island from 9am to 1pm local time as per China's official Fujian Daily, citing a notice from the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) on Pingtan, an island off the coast of Fujian province in China, Focus Taiwan reported. The notice said ships would not be allowed to enter the area during the specified time. Niushan is located roughly 80 kilometers south of the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands off Fujian Province and about 165 kilometers from Taipei. The lighthouse on the island is an important landmark that helps vessels navigate the Taiwan Strait, and the island is near the currently suspended ferry route connecting Pingtan and Taipei. On Sunday, The US Navy said the American destroyer, USS Higgins and a Canadian frigate, HMCS Vancouver, conducted what it called a routine Taiwan Strait transit in waters where "high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law." China said that The actions of the United States and Canada disrupted the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, a military spokesperson said Monday as cited by Xinhua. Meanwhile on Tuesday 17 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. 1w2. 11 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, and southwestern ADIZ. The Ministry of national dfence said they had monitored the situation and responded accordingly.(ANI)
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