Taiwanese forces have concluded two days of drills that ended on Thursday, simulating enemy invasion and the safeguarding of the weapon systems, amid tensions with China.
The exercises came after a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping to “Taiwanese compatriots” in which he signaled a strong will to speed up “re-unification” with Taiwan and failed to rule out the use of force to achieve this goal.
Taipei said the drills were aimed at enhancing combat readiness ahead of the Lunar New Year and hoped to put the Taiwanese public at ease before the long holiday starting on Lunar New Year eve on February 4.
Taiwan’s air force, infantry and navy took part during the drill, fending off a make-believe attack by hostile forces. Taiwan relies on its fleet of fighter jets to respond to increasing manoeuvres by Chinese air force around the island.
