China holds live-fire drills in Taiwan Strait

China held live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday but Taipei dismissed the exercises as "routine" after expected large-scale naval manoeuvres failed to materialise. Beijing had announced the drills last week, further ramping up tensions following stark warnings against any independence moves by the self-ruled island which China sees as its sovereign territory. Vessels had been told to avoid a certain area off the Chinese mainland's coast, triggering speculation that a flotilla spearheaded by China's sole aircraft carrier would take part in the exercise.

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