The Chinese navy and air force have flexed their muscles in live-fire drills in seas adjacent to the Korean peninsula, amid regional tensions over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weaponry, Agence France-Presse reported.

The "large-scale" exercises were being conducted in the seas and skies off China's east coast in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Gulf, and included the firing of dozens of missiles, according to a notice posted late on Monday on the Chinese Defence Ministry's website.

Naval and air force assets, including dozens of ships, more than 10 aircraft, submarines and an unspecified number of coastal defence personnel, took part in the drills, which the ministry said were aimed at testing weapons and honing the military's abilities in conducting coastal assaults and intercepting air targets.

The ministry did not specify how long the drills were to last but a four-day shipping ban ending yesterday was issued for the area where the drills were held, according to notices by the military and the local authorities.