A swath of ocean off China's east coast will be temporarily closed to all vessels from Saturday to Wednesday for a military drill, per a notice issued on Friday by the government of Qingdao, the eastern port city of Shandong province.

The People's Liberation Army has decided to hold large-scale live-fire exercises from 12 am on Saturday to 12 am on Wednesday, and prohibited waters will stretch from Qingdao to Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, according to the notice posted by the city's government via its official micro-blogging account.

The government also called on residents to spread the news to those ready to sail to be far from the area to ensure their safety.