China Says It Will Continue Military Drills Near Taiwan

China on Monday said it will continue its military exercises near Taiwan.

The latest announcement means China has extended the date of its large-scale military exercises which began on Aug. 4 and were scheduled to conclude this Sunday.

In a statement, the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said that it will "continue drills in waters near Taiwan island, focusing on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes," according to the Chinese daily Global Times.

The military drills were held by China in response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan against warnings issued by Beijing which sees the self-ruled island as its "breakaway province."

The Chinese military also launched ballistic missiles around Taiwan, some of which fell in waters which Japan claimed were its exclusive economic zone.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry is also expected to hold a news conference on Monday. -