Beijing, China - China's military has begun a series of live-fire exercises close to Taiwan on Tuesday in a continuation of drills that began last week, putting the self-ruled island into a state of alert.

As part of large-scale drills that have been ongoing in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters since the Chinese military encircled Taiwan earlier in October, Beijing announced "gun firing" on the island of Pingtan.

The exercises, which were announced by the Marine Safety Administration on Monday, will take place on the closed point in mainland China to Taiwan's main island at a distance of less than 70 miles.

Due to the live-fire exercises being conducted in the area, Beijing closed an area around the island on Tuesday.

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Taiwan's premier Cho Jung-Tai decried the announced drills, telling reporters that such exercises threaten regional stability, BBC reports.

"No matter how large the scale of the drill is, they should not be frequent and close to Taiwan," said Cho Jung-Tai. "This will only cause unnecessary tension."

These actions from China follow weeks of intimidation beginning earlier in October when Taipei was put on high alert by the incursion of several aircraft carriers into its territorial waters.

On Monday, the US and Canada presented a show of force by sending two warships through the Taiwan Strait as a way to uphold "freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle."

In response, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stressed that, in Beijing's view, "Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory."

"The Taiwan question is not about freedom of navigation, but about China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," the spokesperson added.