China sends bombers with live missiles on mock strikes in Taiwan drill

Beijing: The Chinese military sent bombers carrying live missiles on Friday to conduct mock strikes in its Taiwan drills, state television CCTV said.

The bombers of the eastern theatre command of the People's Liberation Army set up several attack formations in waters east of Taiwan, carrying out mock attacks in co-ordination with naval vessels, it added.

The US Navy is paying attention to "all of the activities" in the Indo-Pacific and takes "very seriously" the responsibility to deter aggression in the region, a public relations officer of the US Navy 7th Fleet said on Friday.

"The U.S. Navy 7th Fleet remains committed to upholding the rules-based international order that underpins regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," a public relations officer at the 7th Fleet told Reuters when asked to comment on the Chinese military drills around Taiwan this week.

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is continuing "normal, safe, and responsible exercises" as part of its routine deployment in the 7th Fleet area of operations, the officer said in emailed remarks without directly commenting on or referring to the Chinese drills.