Anti-Land and Fire Howitzer Exercise Degree, Taiwan Military: It's Scheduled, Not Because Of China

Ilustrasi militer Taiwan. (Wikimedia Commons/Presidential Palace of the Republic of China)

JAKARTA - Taiwan held military drills on Tuesday, simulating defense against incoming attacks against the country, as the country's foreign minister said China was preparing to attack after extending war games around their territory.

Taiwan: Taiwan held an artillery drill Tuesday (August 9) simulating defense against attack as its top diplomat accused Beijing of preparing to attack the island after days of massive Chinese war games.

China launched its largest air and sea exercise around Taiwan last week in response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top self-governing island United States official in decades.

China's military said its drills near Taiwan continued on Tuesday and involved air and sea units. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said in a statement it was conducting exercises around the island, "with a focus on the joint blockade and joint support operations".

"China has used its military exercises and guidelines to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan. China's real intention is to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region", Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said.

The Taipei exercise began in the southern Pingtung area shortly after 1240 GMT with flares and targeted artillery, ending less than an hour later at 0130 GMT, said Lou Woei-jye, spokesman for the Taiwan Army's 8th Corps.

Taiwanese soldiers fire howitzers 'snapped' onto the beach, hidden from view of the road leading to the popular beach destination of Kenting. The drills, which will also take place on Thursday, include the deployment of hundreds of troops and about 40 howitzers, the military said.

On Monday, Lou told AFP that the drills had been scheduled in advance and were not aimed at responding to Chinese military exercises.

The island regularly hosts military drills simulating defenses against a Chinese invasion, and last month practiced retaliatory attacks from the sea in "joint interception operations" as part of its largest annual drill.

The anti-landing drills came after China extended its joint sea and air exercises around Taiwan on Monday. Taiwan insists that no Chinese warplanes or ships enter its territorial waters, within 12 nautical miles of the mainland, during the Beijing drills.