Taipei Says Live Fire Drills Conducted In Southern Part Of Taiwan Strait

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2023) Taiwan conducted live fire drills on the Penghu islands in the southern part of the Taiwan Strait to test the combat readiness of its armed forces, the Military News Agency, an information service of the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, reported.

The drills took place on Wednesday, the report said. The Taiwanese military fired flares from 4.7-inch mortars, tested heavy machine guns against air targets and practiced crossfire. Besides, M60A3 tanks simulated combat operations with fire support from various types of weapons. The military also practiced repelling potential enemy attempts to land on the island.

"Due to rising international tensions and enemy threats, the island's military remains constantly vigilant and conducts various types of combat training," Maj. Gen. Liu was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Such exercises allow Taiwan's armed forces to maintain a high level of combat readiness and improve their ability to respond to threats and take countermeasures.

"Soldiers of the command act on the principle of 'the battlefield is everywhere' and train constantly to be ready for combat," he said.

The situation around Taiwan recently escalated again after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in April, with Beijing launching massive three-day military drills near the island in what it called a "warning" to Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers.

Taiwan has been governed independently of mainland China since 1949. Beijing regards the island as its province, while Taiwan � a territory with its own elected government � maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official foreign contacts with Taipei and regards Chinese sovereignty over the island as indisputable.