Chinese military stages island invasion drill during Taiwan’s ‘Double Tenth’ holiday
- The large-scale PLA exercise saw units moving from multiple locations in a simulated air and seaborne attack
- The exercise came as President Tsai Ing-wen called for meaningful dialogue with the mainland during celebration to mark the foundation of the Republic of China
The People’s Liberation Army held a large-scale exercise that simulated the invasion of an island during Taiwan’s Double Tenth holiday, Chinese state media has reported.
The drill included new units such as drones, special forces and airborne troops, and saw forces moving from multiple locations in the coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, some of them by night, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
“This exercise, with the effective integration of multiple new combat forces, increased the PLA’s capabilities in joint landings and three-dimensaional assaults,” the report said.
Saturday’s exercise coincided with the Double Tenth holiday on Taiwan to celebrate the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of China in 1911.
On the same day, the PLA also announced another live-fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait, starting on Tuesday and lasting for four days.