China is holding live-fire military drills near Taiwan ahead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei. The naval drill began on Saturday off China's coast opposite Taiwan.
Beijing previously warned the US against Pelosi's Taiwan visit and also indicated that it could shoot down Speaker's plane mid-air before she lands in Taipei.
China Claims Sovereignty Over Taiwan
Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan despite the fact that the island nation is run by the democratically elected government for many decades.
Beijing Opposes Top US Officials' Visit to Taiwan
The Communist regime has been aggressively opposing top US officials' visits to Taiwan.
China recently warned the US saying those who play with fire will be perished by it'.
PLA Conducts Live-Fire Exercises
The People's Liberation Army was conducting 'live-fire exercises' near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Two other vessels - identified by Vietnam-based maritime observer Duan Dang as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer and a Type 054A frigate - were seen 27km and 23km away from the Taiwan Strait. Both are armed with surface-to-air missiles, according to Daily Mail.
Last week, President Joe Biden pointed out that the Defense Department considered Pelosi's Taiwan visit was not a good idea. "Well, I think that the military thinks it's not a good idea right now."
Beijing has previously also opposed the US officials' visit to the island nation. A group of US lawmakers led by the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez and senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham visited Taiwan in April.
In a recent call with Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the US over Pelosi's visit. "Those who play with fire will only get burnt. Hope the US side can see this clearly," said Xi during the meeting with Biden.
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