Taiwan’s military is simulating attacks by mainland China this week as Beijing prepares to hold three-days of live-fire drills across the sea from the island later this week.
Taiwan’s military exercises, larger this year than in the past, follow televised images from the mainland on July 22 depicting a mock ground troop attack on a red tower and attached low-rise buildings that resembled Taiwan’s presidential compound.
The mainland is Taiwan’s only major potential military threat and the two sides are separated by an ocean strait that is 160 km across at its narrowest point.
“Our most crucial goal is to simulate safeguarding against a possible attack from mainland China, whether on Taiwan itself, an outlying island post, our marine military space or our airspace,” deputy defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi said.
The drills, running from Monday to Friday and known as the Han Kuang Exercise, involve 69 more aircraft than last year, Taiwan’s government-funded Central News Agency reported. Many of the 63 drills will emphasise land-sea-air coordination.
Some drills are testing homegrown military hardware, including a drone system and Taiwan’s first indigenous stealth missile corvette warship, Chen said.