China's Communist Party has never ruled the island, but it claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will not renounce the use of force to bring it under its control.

This month it sent planes and warships around the island, in what Beijing said was a "stern warning to the separatist acts of 'Taiwan Independence' forces".

On Monday, the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) in the eastern island of Pingtan announced that "gun firing" would take place in a limited area close to the Chinese mainland and about 105 kilometres (66 miles) from self-ruled Taiwan.

The MSA said they would kick off at 9:00 am local time (0100 GMT) and take place for four hours in an area encompassing about 150 square kilometres (58 square miles).

Pingtan is the closest point in mainland China to Taiwan's main island.

Maritime authorities did not say which Chinese force would be carrying out the live firing, or its objective.

Over the weekend, a US and a Canadian warship passed through the 180-kilometre (112-mile) Taiwan Strait, part of regular passages by Washington and its allies meant to reinforce its status as an international waterway.

Beijing condemned the passage as disrupting "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".

China sent a record number of military aircraft as well as warships and coast guard vessels to encircle Taiwan on October 14 in the fourth round of major drills in just over two years in the area.

Taiwan deployed forces and put outlying islands on heightened alert in response to the exercises.

Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taipei in recent years, deploying on a near-daily basis warplanes and other military aircraft as well as ships around the island.

Following its "Joint Sword-2024B" exercises last week, its army vowed never to renounce the use of force to retake the island.

And in a visit to a brigade of the Chinese military's Rocket Force in the wake of those drills, President Xi urged them to strengthen their preparedness for war, state media said.