- Title: Taiwan holds drills to beat back invasion amid China tensions
- Date: 16th July 2020
- Summary: TAICHUNG, TAIWAN (JULY 16, 2020) (REUTERS) SMOKE AND FIRING IN BATTLEFIELD
- Embargoed: 30th July 2020 08:34
- Keywords: China Taiwan Taiwan Defense Ministry defence live firing drills military drills tanks
- Location: TAICHUNG, TAIWAN
- City: TAICHUNG, TAIWAN
- Country: Taiwan
- Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002CN24QBR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Taiwan's air, sea and land forces conducted live-fire exercises simulating the repulsion of an invading force on Thursday (July 16), with President Tsai Ing-wen saying it showed their determination to defend the democratic and Chinese-claimed island.
F-16 and domestically made Ching-kuo fighter jets launched strikes and tanks raced across inland scrub, firing shells to destroy targets on the beach. About 8,000 personnel took part in drills, held on a coastal strip near Taichung in central Taiwan.
The drills, dubbed "Han Kuang," are Taiwan's main annual exercises. This year's come as China has stepped up its military activity around the island, including flying fighters and bombers close to what Beijing calls its "sacred territory".
Tsai, who won re-election by a landslide in January, pledging to stand up to China, has made military modernisation a priority. Taiwan unveiled its largest defence spending increase in more than a decade last year.
(Production: Ann Wang, Fang Nanlin) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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