China's navy will temporarily seal off part of the Yellow Sea to maritime traffic for "large-scale" military purposes, authorities announced, ahead of the coming 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.
The area stretching from Qingdao, Shandong Province to Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province - two major shipping ports - will be closed to all vessels from 8 am Thursday until 6 pm Saturday, according to a WeChat post by the Weihai Evening Post.
"A map illustrating the restricted area - which covers approximately 40,000 square kilometers - was included in the report, which sourced a People's Liberation Army (PLA) troop, codenamed 91208, and the Shandong Maritime Safety Administration.
The report also pointed out the upcoming 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army on August 1.