PLA conducts 2 days of live-fire drills in Taiwan Strait off Fujian island
Beginning of exercise coincides with completion of Beijing’s fisheries resource survey conducted in waters east of Taiwan
The drill will run from 6am to 6pm on Thursday and Friday, according to a navigation warning issued by Beijing’s maritime safety administration on Wednesday.
People’s Liberation Army drills usually peak in mid and late July as the PLA seeks to improve its capacities in harsh environments, including under extreme heat.
Based on the coordinates provided by the notice, the drill on Thursday covers an area bounded by five points in the waters to the east and south of Dongshan Island, which belongs to Zhangzhou in Fujian province.
It extends into offshore waters east of Dongshan Island towards the Taiwan Strait, with all drill zones within 12km (7.4 miles) of the mainland coast.
On Friday, the drill will be conducted in a rectangular nearshore maritime zone south of Dongshan Island and closer to the Dongshan coastline. The two areas partially overlap, based on the coordinates.
The notice advised caution and said entering the exercise areas was prohibited.
Also on Thursday, Beijing’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs concluded a week-long fisheries resource survey in waters east of Taiwan island that it said laid a foundation for understanding conditions in areas “under China’s jurisdiction”, according to CCTV.