China says continuing military drills around Taiwan: Report

China continued its live-fire military drills around Taiwan for the fifth consecutive day on Monday. "Fresh drills have been carried out around Taiwan on Monday," China's military's eastern command was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

"The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday continued joint combat exercises and training around the water and airspace of the Taiwan Island, with the main focus on organising joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations," China state-affiliated media CGTN reported.

This comes a day after it was reported that China was planning to conduct live-fire exercises from August 6-15 in the southern part of the Yellow Sea. Meanwhile, China defied calls for it to end its "largest-ever" military exercises encircling the self-ruled island, the report said.

China launched military drills on Thursday soon after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan on Tuesday and Wednesday which infuriated Beijing. China saw Pelosi's move as a violation of the One-China policy.

However, the Biden administration and Pelosi said the US remains committed to the One-China policy that recognises Beijing as the legitimate government but allows informal relations and defence ties with Taipei.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognising its sovereignty.

So far, China has conducted missile strikes on targets in the seas around Taiwan, and sent warships across the Taiwan Straits median line, reports said while quoting Taiwan's defence ministry. These military exercises, which began on Thursday, were expected to draw to a close on Sunday.

On Sunday, Taiwan's defence ministry said it "detected 66 Chinese air force planes and 14 Chinese warships conducting activities in and around the Taiwan Strait". It accused China of "simulating attacks" on the island of Taiwan and its ships at sea.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that Taiwan's army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung County on Tuesday and Thursday, in response to the Chinese exercises, "to test combat readiness".

Irked by Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China also cut off defence and climate talks with the US and imposed sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for her visit, news agency AP reported.