PLA Drills In Taiwan Strait Just Routine: Taipei

Taipei on Wednesday dismissed the mainland's live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait 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 island.

Vessels had been told to avoid a certain area off the mainland's coast, triggering speculation that a flotilla spearheaded by the People's Liberation Army's sole aircraft carrier would take part in the exercise.

But Taiwan's defence ministry said the drills only involved land-based artillery conducting "routine" shooting practice.

Beijing has yet to release any information about the drills, which authorities had said would run until midnight, without giving any details about which military equipment or personnel would be involved.

"China deliberately released fake information to exaggerate it, to make it sound huge when in fact it's small," Taiwanese defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi said.

"It's the cheapest way of verbal intimidation and sabre-rattling," Chen said, adding that such exercises had been held every year since 2007, except for last year.

The drills coincided with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to Swaziland, one of Taipei's few remaining international allies.

The director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, Liu Jieyi, had said on Monday that the drills were "an action to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our motherland". (AFP)