Taiwan’s military on Tuesday staged a live-fire exercise that included a simulation of defending the island against a Chinese invasion that Taiwan accused Beijing of orchestrating.
An AFP correspondent at the scene saw the start of the operation in Pingtung county in southern Taiwan (at 0040 GMT), with the firing of flares and artillery shelling.
The exercises ended at around 01:30 GMT, according to Lu Wei-jie, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Eighth Army. Tuesday’s exercises attracted many onlookers.
“We should take countermeasures in the face of the mainland blockade,” said Qin, who preferred not to give his first name. “Conducting the military exercises will let them know that Taiwan is ready,” he added.
I hope both sides will show some restraint.”
China launched its largest air and sea military exercises around Taiwan last week in an angry response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island.
“China used maneuvers and military plans to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan,” Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Tuesday at a press conference in Taipei, stressing that “China’s real intention is to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region.”
Wu reiterated his condemnation of the Chinese maneuvers, which lasted until Monday, despite Beijing’s initial claim that they would end the previous day, noting that they had obstructed one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The island regularly holds military exercises simulating a Chinese invasion.
#Taiwan #organizes #military #exercises #accuses #Beijing #preparing #invasion