Beijing, Sep 10 (IANS): Chinese armed forces on Friday will begin a three-day live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Stait, for which a partial restriction of sea traffic has been imposed in the region, authorities announced Thursday.

The announcement was made by China's Maritime Safety Administration, EFE news reported.

The military drills come after Taiwan on Monday began yearly military drills using live-firearms in different parts of the island, simulating a Chinese attack.

China and Taiwan have been separated since 1949 when Nationalist troops of Chiang Kai-shek lost the country's civil war to the Communist forces led by Mao Zedong and fled to the island of Formosa several hundred miles off the Chinese coast.

Taiwan has control over small groups of islands, namely Kinmin and Matsu, located closer to the Chinese mainland than Taiwan.

Chinese military drills will take place just near the port city of Quanzhou, situated next to the Kinmin islands.