Days after the recent elections in Taiwan, Chinese military forces had conducted live-fire landing on a coast near Taiwan, according to the military's official television network CCTV7.

CCTV7 reported on Thursday that live fire exercises were staged by soldiers of the 31st Group Army headquartered in Xiamen near the Taiwanese-controlled island of Kinmen.

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PLA   Frontline Units

The television network said the location where the military drills were conducted is not far from the coastline of the Kinmen island, which is one of the 'frontline units' for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) for any action they will take against Taiwan should hostilities erupt between the two sides.

The military-run television channel reported that the PLA conducted the landing exercises 'recently' but did not say the exact date.

The channel gave only sketchy details about the military exercise such as the arms, equipment, and other weaponry used during the drills. It did not specify, however, the number of troops who participated and the number of equipment used in the live-fire landing.

Military equipment

The military exercise involved various equipment such as self-propelled howitzers, long-range rockets, amphibious tanks, and helicopters.

China's Defense Ministry refused to answer queries on whether the military drills are related to the overwhelming victory of  pro-independence candidate Tsai Lng-wen in the Taiwanese elections.

Tsai, a pro-independence candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, will be the first female President of Taiwan. Tsai assumes the presidency after the eight-year rule of outgoing pro-China President Ma Ying-jeou

China usually says that it stages  its military drills periodically and they are not conducted in response to a particular event such as the Taiwan elections.

Taiwan independence separatist forces

But military analysts say the military exercise in an area similar to the Taiwanese coastline and the number of troops and units involved in the exercise may point to a hypothetical scenario of an eruption of military hostilities between the two sides.

"Given the certain amount of risk the two sides are facing today, the hypothetical target of the 31st Group Army's  exercises might be those 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," said military analysts.

Analysts claim the 31st Army Group involved in the exercise is the same group responsible for any Taiwan eventualities.

Breakaway province

Time and again, China has declared Taiwan as a breakaway province and has publicly announced that it will use force the moment Taiwan pushes for independence.

China has always said that China and Taiwan will be reunited in the future and any Taiwanese actions that will counter that will be dealt with militarily.

TagsChina live-fire landing exercises, CCTV7, China's 31st Army Group, Chinese military troops, PLA Frontline Units