China on Wednesday began a two-day live-fire military exercise in designated areas of the Taiwan Strait off the coast of Fujian Province, according to Chinese maritime authorities.

The drills are being conducted near Dongshan Island, close to the border with Guangdong Province, and are scheduled to run daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time through Thursday. Navigation has been restricted in the exercise zones during the operation.

The announcement came shortly after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which Taiwan was among the issues discussed.

Beijing continues to reaffirm its One China principle, under which it regards Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory, and opposes foreign military support and arms sales to the island.

China has stepped up military activity around Taiwan in recent years. In December, the People's Liberation Army carried out large-scale exercises around the island, including live-fire rocket launches into waters north and south of Taiwan following a US arms package for Taipei.(ILKHA)