Beijing trumpets scale of military might in build-up to main exercises later this month

A large-scale military exercise by the PLA across the Taiwan Strait has gone almost unnoticed in Taiwan despite reports from Beijing-controlled media to trumpet the Chinese military's prowess.

The pro-Beijing Wen Wei Po yesterday led its front page with a report saying soldiers on Dongshan Island are busy preparing for the exercises and local residents support the drill despite the inconvenience caused.

The newspaper claimed that the main body of the exercises, which involved as many as 100,000 soldiers, would begin later this month. 'Based on our reporters' observations, the assembly of troops for the exercises on Dongshan Island has been completed,' the paper said.

According to the report, ports on Dongshan Island were closed for an hour every day because of preparations for the war games and many of the island's resort villas were now used by soldiers as their living quarters.

It also showed on the front page a photograph of soldiers reviewing their strategy using a model of the island and hailed the high spirits of the troops.

Residents who have to live under curfew-like conditions were quoted as saying they fully supported the drills because they wanted to 'teach separatists who promoted Taiwan independence a harsh lesson'.

China's official media have boasted about the scale of the exercises saying some of the country's best weaponry would be tested. These reports also said the war games would simulate capturing an offshore island apparently referring to one of the islands controlled by Taiwan.