In response to questions about China's decision to conduct live-fire drills in the Taiwan Straits, taken just one day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in the Philippines and discussed, among other topics, the Taiwan question, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that "relevant Chinese authorities have already released information" regarding the exercise.

Live-fire drills will be conducted in some areas of the Taiwan Straits from 6 am to 6 pm on Thursday and from 6 am to 6 pm on Friday, according to the website of China's Maritime Safety Administration. Entry into the designated areas is prohibited, the website showed.

Pushing back against a series of recent negative US remarks and actions, Wang on Wednesday urged the US side to respect China's core interests, uphold the one-China principle, properly manage differences, and address China's legitimate concerns during his meeting with Rubio in Manila, according to the Xinhua News Agency.