'China will be prepared for any harm to sovereignty'
The Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday that authorities will be on high alert, following media reports of EU calls for navy patrols in the Taiwan Strait. On Sunday, in an opinion piece in French newspaper Le Journal Du Dimanche, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait. The office said authorities on the mainland will be prepared and will be on high alert for any harm to the nation's sovereignty and territory. Separately, the Maritime Safety Administration of China said in a statement late on Tuesday that live firing drills in some areas in the East China Sea will be conducted from 11am to 6:30pm on Wednesday.  No vessels are allowed to enter the designated area, it said. (Reuters)