The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has started its regular military drills in the waters adjacent to the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese ministry of national defense said in a statement posted on its official website.
The set of drills is set to last till January 16 and takes place in the Bohai Strait and the north of the Yellow Sea, Sputnik reported.
China's maritime authorities have banned all civilian vessels from entering the mentioned maritime areas.
Another set of winter drills is currently underway on the Chinese side of Paekdu, the peninsula's highest peak, on the border between North Korea and China, according to The Korea Herald.
The drills are staged by the Shenyang Military Area Command, one of seven Chinese regional military commands, which is in charge of defending the border with North Korea. The military exercises near the mountain are aimed at "enhancing tactical operations during the cold winter season," according to the agency report.
