Mainland China says it will watch Taiwanese military exercises closely for signs of ‘provocation’
- Taiwan’s military will carry out a series of live-fire exercises around its outpost of Quemoy next month to improve combat readiness
- Tensions have been running high since the death of two fishermen from the mainland near the island last month after being chased by Taiwanese coastguards
On Wednesday, Chen Binhua, a spokesman for mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Beijing is closely monitoring the movements of the Taiwanese army, and warned that “any provocations” or “rash” actions are doomed to fail.
“Whether it is ‘routine’ training or a ‘targeted’ provocation, the DPP authorities know better than anyone in their hearts,” Chen told a press briefing, referring to the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
He said people on Quemoy, which is also known as Kinmen, have grown up cherishing peace and have made the right choice between “firing guns” and “building bridges”.
Earlier this month, Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency issued a notice that the army’s Kinmen Defence Command will stage artillery exercises to bolster combat readiness around Quemoy.