Taiwan reveals plans for live-fire drills at islets near Chinese mainland
- Drills to include islets of Dongyin and Quemoy, close to mainland cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen, and will simulate repelling an invasion
- Some observers believe the mainland is more likely to try to seize one of the islets, to force talks, than launch an all-out war
The drills come amid growing concerns that cross-strait conflict could become imminent if the mainland’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were to seize one of the islets to force self-ruled Taiwan to the table for reunification talks.
According to notices issued by the island’s armed forces to alert ships and planes not to approach the live-fire sites, Taiwan’s artillery, missile and other troops stationed in Dongyin, Quemoy (also known as Kinmen) and Penghu (also called the Pescadores) will stage the exercises on March 16 and 17.
Under the plan, the drills will run in the morning and at night, simulating scenarios in which warplanes and amphibious landing craft attack the islets.
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Taiwan holds urban, aerial combat drills amid threats of invasion by mainland China
Dongyin and Quemoy are frontline islets situated close to the mainland cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen, respectively. Penghu is midway between the mainland Chinese province of Fujian and the Taiwanese city of Chiayi.
