China's armed forces will begin large-scale exercises in six areas around Taiwan on Thursday.

APA reports with reference to the local media that the exercises will continue until the afternoon of August 7 in Beijing.

Reports of large-scale maneuvers by China's People's Liberation Army emerged minutes after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plane landed at Taipei's Songshan Airport on Tuesday evening.

The training program involves live fire, so PRC officials have warned that civilian aircraft and naval vessels are prohibited from entering the six areas.

According to experts, the maneuvers will exceed the scale of similar exercises during the crisis in the Taiwan Strait in 1996-1997.