Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered to host a live-fire drill in the Taiwan Strait to send a clear message to Taiwan about Beijing’s disapproval over growing ties between the Taiwan and US.

The drills which are scheduled to be conducted on 18 April will be the first exercise of Chinese fire drills with live ammunition in the Taiwan Strait since September 2015. Prior to scheduled live-fire exercises in Taiwan Strait, another massive military drill was conducted by PLA Navy on the 10th and 11th of April, in the South China Sea.

Chinese President Xi, personally reviewed the troops exercising the fire drill from the deck of the Chinese destroyer Changsha and motivated the troops about the need for becoming a “world-class Navy”.