President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Wednesday inspected a computerized wargame simulating intensive ballistic missile attacks by China, local media reported yesterday.
The drill comes amid warnings that China could increase the number of missiles it has aimed at Taiwan to more than 1,900 this year, despite warming ties across the Taiwan Strait.
The five-day exercise, which started on Monday, also simulated intensive air bombings of Taiwan by the Chinese forces, local media reported.
BLITZ
“President Ma entered the Hengshan command yesterday [Wednesday] to hear briefings by top military brass ... and witnessed how the defense forces would react to the simulated blitz,” the China Times reported, quoting an unnamed military source.
The source said that during the drill, Taiwanese troops would be forced to fight alone without foreign assistance, such as from the US.
Analysts say China has increased its military build-up since a missile crisis in 1996, aiming to deter Washington from coming to the rescue of Taiwan should war break out in the Strait.
BOOST
Deputy Minister of National Defense Andrew Yang (楊念祖) on Wednesday said the People’s Liberation Army may boost the number of short-range ballistic and cruise missiles facing Taiwan to 1,960 before the year’s end.
Although tensions between Beijing and Taipei have eased since Ma’s China-friendly administration came to power in 2008, Beijing has still not ruled out the use of force against Taiwan should it declare independence, Yang said.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
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