The Ministry of National Defense yesterday rebutted reports that this year's war games will simulate a Chinese invasion and occupation of Taiwan in 2008.
Ministry spokesman Liu Chih-chien (
"Any reports on the annual drill are mere speculation," he said.
He was responding to reports by a local Chinese-language newspaper, the China Times, that this year's drill will simulate a Chinese invasion of Taiwan in the wake of a successful Beijing Olympics and after Chinese President Hu Jintao (
The war games would test whether Taiwan was capable of withstanding invading forces for two weeks without outside assistance, the reports said.
"The ministry is still cautiously studying the Han Kuang No. 22," Liu said.
He said that the ministry is scheduled to announce its plan early next month.
On reports that former commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Dennis Blair, will lead a military delegation to Taiwan to observe the military drill as in past years, Liu said the matter was not finalized.
He said the computer war games are aimed at simulating the ministry's defensive warfare plans and testing the results of training for joint operations among the armed forces.
The Han Kuang No. 22 drill will continue with live fire exercises in Ilan in the second half of the year, the report said.
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