PLA conducts live-fire exercise in East China Sea on 2nd day of drill

Taipei, April 2 (CNA) Taiwan's military on Wednesday said it observed China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducting live-fire exercises in the East China Sea on the second day of PLA military drills which began on Tuesday.

Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升), head of the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) Office of Deputy Chief of General Staff for Intelligence, said the live-fire drill was conducted in the East China Sea in a closed zone 270 km by 40 km in size.

On late Tuesday the Chinese side declared the area a no fly zone and no fishing zone.

The Chinese side lifted the no fly zone after concluding the live-fire shooting exercise early Wednesday, he added.

The two-star general added that the nation's armed forces were still collecting information on exactly what kind of missiles and/or rockets were launched during the live-fire drill.

Other than the live-fire drill in the East China Sea which is about 400 km from Taiwan, Hsieh said the nation's armed forces did not observe PLA troops conducting live-fire exercises in areas around Taiwan on Wednesday.

The PLA's Eastern Theater Command first announced the beginning of joint exercises around Taiwan, as "a stern warning" to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces early on Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning, the command which has jurisdiction over the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait further announced that it was conducting a "Strait Thunder-2025A" drill in parts of the Taiwan Strait.

The command later published a video it said was of the live fire drills in East China Sea that showed rockets, rather than ballistic missiles.

"The drills involve precision strikes on simulated targets of key ports and energy facilities, and have achieved their desired effect," the command said, without elaborating.

Asked if the "Strait Thunder-2025A" drill is part of the drill that began on Tuesday or a separate one, Hsieh said Taiwan's military remains on high alert and is conducting emergency response drills to closely monitor PLA deployments "regardless of what the PLA names its drills."

As of Wednesday afternoon, Hsieh said the MND has detected 13 PLA naval vessels, 10 coast guard vessels, and 27 military aircraft, operating around Taiwan.

Among the 27, 11 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

On the east of Taiwan, Hsieh said the military has identified an 8-vessel naval fleet led by the Shandong aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific Ocean around 190 nautical miles southeastern off Cape Eluanbi in southern Taiwan, Hsieh said.