Taiwan Quick Take: General sees Japanese drill

Japan's Kyodo news agency reported yesterday that Taiwan's Army Commander General Hu Chen-pu (胡鎮埔) observed Japan's largest live-fire war drill in Shizuoka a day earlier. Hu was invited to observe the annual exercise conducted by Japan's Self Defense Force despite the absence of diplomatic ties between Tokyo and Taipei, according to Kyodo. China, which had learned in advance that Hu would attend the drill, filed a protest with Tokyo, Kyodo said. Thursday's live fire demonstration was the preview of the Self Defense Force's annual war drill conducted exclusively for overseas observers, according to Kyoto.