Two army brigades launched a week-long live-fire exercise in central Taiwan on Saturday after a six-year hiatus to test the combat readiness of ground troops amid the rising military threat from China.
The seven-day drill carried out by the Taoyuan-based 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the Kaohsiung-based Republic of China (ROC) Marine Corps’ 99th brigade simulates combat scenarios in Chiayi County, with the central Taiwan-based 10th Army Corps Command presiding over the exercise.
According to the scenario, the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade is designated the defending “blue team” while the 99th brigade acts as the invading “red team.”
Photo courtesy of Military News Agency
The ongoing drill titled “Chang Ching” (長青), or “evergreen,” is to test the command efficiency of both brigades.
This is the first time since 2017 a Chang Ching drill has been held independently. In the past five years, the army incorporated the Chang Ching drill into other annual military exercises.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said the army used to hold annual Chang Ching exercise in central Taiwan, Chang Tai (長泰) in northern Taiwan, and Chang Shang (長勝) in southern Taiwan to test troops’ joint-exercise capabilities to combat a Chinese invasion.
The brigade-level exercise tests whether each unit is sufficiently trained on intelligence, command, interception, communication and logistic support in the event of a cross-Taiwan Strait war, Su said.
In the ongoing Chang Ching drill, the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade is equipped with variants of the domestic Clouded Leopard armored vehicle, as well as the latest drones, which are expected to undergo rigorous tests during the week-long exercise, Su said.
US military consultants are likely to preside over the exercises with Taiwanese military personnel, he added.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
MEDICAL: The bills would also upgrade the status of the Ethical Guidelines Governing the Research of Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Research to law The Executive Yuan yesterday approved two bills to govern regenerative medicine that aim to boost development of the field. Taiwan would reach an important milestone in regenerative medicine development with passage of the regenerative medicine act and the regenerative medicine preparations ordinance, which would allow studies to proceed and treatments to be developed, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) told reporters at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Regenerative treatments have been used for several conditions, including cancer — by regenerating blood cells — and restoring joint function in soft tissue, Wang said. The draft legislation requires regenerative treatments
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese