A Chinese warship in seas facing the Taiwan Strait began live-fire drills on Saturday as Beijing began military exercises it calls a warning against what it considers pro-Taiwan independence forces.
The amphibious landing ship - capable of transporting troops, craft and vehicles - fired multiple rounds of artillery on Saturday morning in the Luoyan Bay area on the coast of Fujian province, about 50 km (30 miles) northwest of the Matsu islands near the mainland that are controlled by Taiwan, Reuters reported.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's claims.
Smoke and muzzle flares were visible from the stern of the warship as shells were fired on targets on land and water.
Fishing boats and huge cargo vessels cruised nearby, avoiding the drill area.
The warship did not sail towards the windswept Matsu islands, controlled by Taiwan since the Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's Communist forces. The area is considered an early target for Beijing in the event of a military escalation.
China's Eastern Theater Command, one of the five commands of the People's Liberation Army that oversees the East China Sea including the Taiwan Strait, said combat readiness patrols would be conducted around Taiwan for three days as a "serious" warning against pro-Taiwan independence forces and to safeguard China's territorial integrity.
Drills to the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan were also planned, after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States, drawing anger from Beijing.
Taiwan's defense ministry said that 42 Chinese planes and eight ships crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line on Saturday morning.
Despite the drills, Tsai said Taiwan's people love democracy and seek peace, adding that she looked forward to further strengthening security cooperation with the United States.
Tsai made the comments at the start of a lunch with a visiting US lawmaker delegation, led by Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
