Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Taiwan military shows off its mettle with latest combat drills

An AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighters (IDF) is pictured during a live-fire military exercise in Pingtung, Taiwan, September 7, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Tanks pounded targets and fighter jets roared overhead on Wednesday as Taiwan's military carried out its latest combat drills after weeks of sabre-rattling by giant neighbour China.

China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has been holding exercises around the island since a visit to Taipei last month by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Taiwan, which rejects China's sovereignty claims, has repeatedly stressed its calm reaction to Beijing's activities, but that it also has the resolve and ability to defend itself if needed.

Members of the media take photos of an AH-64 Apache during a live-fire military exercise in Pingtung, Taiwan, September 7, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang

"Ground combat readiness training is an essential duty of the armed forces and is also something that we have to do each day and every moment," defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters on a government-organised visit to Pingtung in Taiwan's far south to see the drills.

"Regarding defence operations in Taiwan and its outlying islands, we conduct our exercises with the attitude of reacting to threats according to terrain and being able to fight everywhere to complete our duty of increasing war preparedness," he added.

Taiwan's armed forces are well-equipped but dwarfed by China's. President Tsai Ing-wen has been overseeing a modernisation programme and has made increasing defence spending a priority.

An AH-64 Apache fire a rocket during a live-fire military exercise in Pingtung, Taiwan, September 7, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang

(Reporting by Fabian Hamcher and Ann Wang; Writing by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Gerry Doyle)

CM-11 Brave Tiger fires during a live-fire military exercise in Pingtung, Taiwan, September 7, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Smoke rises above armoured vehicles during a live-fire military exercise in Pingtung, Taiwan, September 7, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.