Taiwan's Ministry of Defense reported increased military activity by China yesterday, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
The self-governing democratic island, which is considered by China to be Chinese territory, said yesterday that the Chinese army had established a zone for "training shooting" in the southwestern part of the Taiwan Strait, near the large coastal population centers of Kaohsiung and Pingtung.
The Taiwanese government condemned the move as dangerous, provocative and a threat to flights and shipping, adding that it had not been notified of the exercise. There was no immediate comment from China.
In its daily morning update on Chinese military activities over the past 24 hours, Taiwan's defense ministry said it had identified 45 Chinese warplanes and 14 naval vessels around the island, including seven ships in China's declared exercise zone, 40 nautical miles from Taiwan.
In an accompanying map, the Taiwanese ministry showed the location of the exercise zone, which it said stretched 70 nautical miles long and 20 nautical miles wide, though beyond Taiwan's territorial waters.
Two senior Taiwanese officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that no live fire had been detected in the Chinese exercise zone and there had been no further escalation of military tensions.