In the coastal city of Quanzhou, in southern Fujian province about 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of Taiwan, officials mobilized armed forces for 12 hours of drills using more than 100 civilian vessels Thursday, the pro-Beijing Chinese-language daily Wen Wei Po reported in its front-page lead.

Officials from the military command in the southeastern city of Nanjing and Fujian province also jointly ordered province-wide exercises to meet the needs for combat in the area, the newspaper reported.

Civilians watching the the fleet practice formation sang "We must liberate Taiwan," the report said.Large scale army, navy, and air force joint drills were also being planned along the coast in Zhejiang province and the city of Shanghai, the independent Chinese-language daily Ming Paoreported, quoting unidentified sources.

The military manoeuvres were to be a warning to Taiwanese President Lee Tung-hui for his comments and a part of commemoration activities for the 50th anniversary of communist rule, the newspaper reported.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin was to decide on the type of exercises and when they would take place, the report said. Earlier this month, Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui riled Beijing by claiming relations between China and Taiwan should be conducted on a "state-to-state" basis.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland.