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Guangdong holds live-fire drill in archipelago amid crackdowns on trafficking and Covid-19
- Provincial maritime authority announces exercise but gives no details, however observers say the coastguard is likely to be involved
- The fight against the spread of coronavirus and a bid to stamp out smuggling have been recent focuses for the province
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The southern Chinese province of Guangdong has staged a live-fire drill in waters off the Pearl River Estuary, according to the maritime authority.
The China Maritime Safety Administration’s Guangdong bureau announced the exercise in a notice, saying it would take place between 9am and 6pm on Thursday in the southern Wanshan archipelago, about 100km (62 miles) off Hong Kong.
The 80 sq km drill zone is the regular training area for the Guangdong coastguard, according to earlier reports.
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No details of the drill were disclosed, but observers said it was likely to have involved the coastguard.
The announcement came as local governments in the province stepped up their pandemic fight after four positive cases were found in people who had illegally crossed the border from Hong Kong to the mainland via Zhuhai.
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The waters near the Wanshan islands have been among the most popular trafficking areas to smuggle humans and goods from Vietnam and Taiwan to Hong Kong for decades. There is no evidence to show the coronavirus-infected cases illegally entered the mainland by boat.
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