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Two armoured vehicles launch smoke grenades during the annual Han Kuang military drills on Thursday. Photo: AFP

‘No kowtowing to Beijing’: Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen promises to fortify defences

  • Tsai tells troops taking part in military exercises that island must show its determination to safeguard itself
  • Two mainland Chinese spy vessels spotted near live-fire drill site, according to report
Taiwan
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen sought to rally troops taking part in the island’s biggest annual military exercises on Thursday, vowing not to bow to Beijing’s pressure and to step up the island’s defences.

“As I have said, national security rests on solid defence rather than kowtowing,” Tsai said, addressing forces in Jianan, Taichung, on the island’s central coast involved in the five-day Han Kuang exercises, which started on Monday.

Beijing, which considers Taiwan a wayward province that must be brought under its control by force if necessary, has stepped up pressure on Taiwan since Tsai was first elected president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle.

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Taiwan military drill simulates response to an attack across Taiwan Strait

Taiwan military drill simulates response to an attack across Taiwan Strait

Dressed in fatigues, Tsai said the military had to stage the drill every year to assess the forces’ combat readiness, but “more important to let the world witness our determination and efforts to safeguard our own land”.

“Today, on Jianan beach, in addition to the live-fire drills simulating the three forces’ repulsion of the landing operation by the enemy, we have also examined the effectiveness of our combined arms battalions in war operations,” Tsai said.

The Jianan drill simulated repulsion of an enemy from the shore and included F-16 and Ching-kuo fighter jets targeting tanks crossing inland scrub. According to the defence ministry, some 8,000 personnel took part.

Tsai also stressed combat readiness a day earlier when she observed live-fire coastal drills involving the army, the navy and the air force at Jiupeng military base in the south.

On Wednesday, the third day of the exercises, the navy conducted its first torpedo test since 2007, with one of its attack submarines test-firing a SUT heavyweight torpedo at an enemy ship, the ministry said.

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Amid growing pressure from mainland China’s People’s Liberation Army, Taiwan’s defence ministry has called on some new participants for this year’s exercise.

In all, 22 new combined arms battalions are in action this year for the first time. Formed in September, they bring together soldiers from infantry and armoured vehicle units, liaison officers from different military branches, snipers and unmanned aerial vehicle and missile operators. The aim is for each battalion to be able to operate independently on the battlefield.

Reserve forces also took part for the first time on Monday, along with special forces from the military, police and coastguard, who simulated rescue of government leaders held hostage by an invading force, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, local news media reported that two mainland Chinese reconnaissance vessels, disguised as civilian vessels, were seen off the east coast of Taiwan on Wednesday during the Jiupeng drill.

Taiwan’s military said it suspected that the two spy ships were collecting intelligence on the weapon systems and missiles used in the simulated a counter-attack of a PLA invasion by sea, according to the semi-official Central News Agency.

Taiwan’s navy later sent a patrol vessel with equipment to block monitoring and deter the two mainland Chinese ships, which eventually left the area, CNA reported.

The weapons fired from the coastal base included the indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III anti-ship missiles and Tien Kung I and III anti-tactical ballistic missiles, and the US-made Harpoon missiles, Patriot PAC-2 missiles, and Standard Missile 1, according to the defence ministry.

The Han Kuang series of exercises will end on Friday to be followed by computer-simulation drills in September.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Tsai tells troops there will be ‘no kowtowing to Beijing’
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