A spokesman for Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, Rear Admiral Liu Chih-chien (劉志堅), repeated to the Taipei Times yesterday that the military had detected no unusual PLA activity amid recent political tensions.
"The [People's Liberation Army's (PLA)] high-ranking officials have preferred to bully the nation with language, but we do not have to respond to their provocations," Liu said.
Those statements came after reports in recent days that the Chinese military has been ordered to step up preparations to prevent Taiwanese independence.
Yesterday the People's Liberation Army Daily published a front-page report on earlier comments from General Guo Boxiong (
"The entire army must step up its sense of hardship and delve into robust military training, enliven the spirit of struggle among officers and ... fully raise combat capabilities," the military's mouthpiece quoted Guo as saying.
Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan (
"[President] Chen Shui-bian's (
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