Taiwan’s military conducts artillery live-fire drills at Fangshan township in Pingtung, southern Taiwan, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported that Taiwan’s army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung county on Tuesday and Thursday, in response to the Chinese exercises. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)
Taiwan held military drills amid its heightened tensions with China. Military personnel were seen firing artillery on the islands’ southeastern coast as part of a training exercise on Tuesday. Officials say exercises are being used to test combat readiness.
These drills come in response to China’s recent drills. The communist country ramped up their military drills following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) visit to Taiwan in the beginning of August.
#UPDATE Taiwan has held an artillery drill simulating defence against an attack as its top diplomat accused Beijing of preparing to invade the island after days of massive Chinese war gameshttps://t.co/BYPRyFxLyl pic.twitter.com/kactNBCVUB
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 9, 2022
A spokesman for Taiwan’s military said their army must be prepared to defend itself. Maj. Gen. Lou Woei-Jye touched on the topic.
“How to stop the enemy’s aggression?” he asked. “We will have relevant preparations to deal with the different modes of the enemy’s aggression.”
In the meantime, Taiwan’s foreign minister is raising alarms about China’s escalating military aggression in the region. The island considers China’s recent drills to be part of a larger plan.
Source: One America News Network
