The Chinese military has started war games off its southern coast opposite Taiwan, the Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po reported yesterday.
The amphibious mechanical unit of the Chinese Liberation Army "Liberation No.1," also known as "Donghai No. 6," began a joint military exercise off the southeast coastal province of Fujian near Dongshan Island yesterday, reported the pro-Beijing newspaper, citing anonymous sources.
The full-page report showed large pictures of several war ships apparently patrolling along a coast.
Tens of thousands of troops from the navy, army and air force have performed a landing drill off Dacheng Bay of the Zhaoan County, 204km from Taiwan and more than 300 top military leaders will preside over the exercises, Wen Wei Po reported.
The Chinese communist army has mobilized "the most technologically advanced" weaponry -- including air fighters, war ships and missiles, it said.
China's Foreign Ministry representative office did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
But a Taiwan Ministry of Defense spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, disputed the report. Hong Kong and Chinese news media had for months said the annual exercises would take place but he said the war games have yet to happen.
The parade of China's military force came as President Jiang Zemin (
"Such a practice will not serve the interests of the people of Taiwan and is not conducive to peace in Asia, and it will also harm the US' own interest," Jiang said in an interview with The New York Times published on Friday.
Washington announced an arms sale to Taiwan earlier this year.
In the interview, Jiang warned that if pro-independence forces ever tried to move Taiwan away from the mainland, "China can never renounce the use of force."
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