Chinese navy conducts live fire military drill across Taiwan Strait

The Chinese navy conducted large scale live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday.

The move comes in the wake of the largest-ever military exercises by the Chinese navy in South China Sea over the weekend.

Yang Baowei, deputy brigade commander of an army aviation brigade, says the drill aims to enhance the actual combat capabilities of the military in all aspects.

"In this round of live drills at sea, the key is to highlight various combat environments like the night, sea, and complex electromagnetic environments in accordance with the requirements of truth, hardship, strictness, and solidity. In terms of operation tactics, it highlights long-range attacks, coordinated attacks, and multi-bullet continuous attacks."

The Chinese navy is conducting large scale live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait. [Photo: CCTV]

The director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council warned on Tuesday that adhering to the "1992 Consensus" and opposing "Taiwan independence" are crucial to peace and stability across the Strait. 

In a related development, the United States has recently decided to sell military hardware to Taiwan and boost official ties between the two sides through the Taiwan Travel Act, running the risk of escalating tensions in the region.

China has expressed its firm opposition to the US move, urging the US to abide by the one-China principle and the principles of the three Sino-US Joint Communiques, and stop all forms of military contact with Taiwan including arms sales.