. China News .




TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan to hold first major live-fire drill since 2008
by Staff Writers
Taipei (AFP) March 26, 2013


Taiwan Tuesday unveiled plans for its biggest live-fire military exercise since 2008, aimed at reviewing the island's defence capability against a simulated Chinese invasion.

The operation will take place on April 17 on the Penghu islands in the middle of the 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait that separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland.

The archipelago is used to control major shipping lanes linking the South China Sea and East China Sea.

"The main purpose of the drill is to review the defence capability of the troops stationed in Penghu," Major General Tseng Fu-hsing told reporters.

President Ma Ying-jeou's China-friendly administration has not held any major live-fire exercises since he came to power in 2008 on a platform of beefing-up trade and tourism links, heralding a detente between the two sides.

Ma was reelected in January 2012 for a second four-year term, and his government is now trying to boost its low popularity in the face of calls to stand up to Beijing, as well as continuing its policy of engagement.

During the operation, named "Han Kuang 29" (Han Glory), the military would test the Ray Ting 2000 or "Thunder 2000", a locally developed multiple-launch rocket system designed to prevent the enemy from making an amphibious landing, Tseng said.

The drill was decided upon to quell public fears over a possible attack, he added.

China still considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to take it back even if it means war, and even though the island has governed itself since their split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.

The announcement of the drill came a day after Chinese media reported that China had agreed to buy two dozen Su-35 fighter jets and four Lada-class submarines from Russia, the country's first large-scale weapons technology purchases from Moscow in a decade.

In response to the reports, Defence Ministry spokesman David Lo said Taiwan was unlikely to conduct an arms race against China, which is involved in a number of territorial disputes with its neighbours.

But he pledged that the military would do everything it could to "defer the enemy from easily using force" against the island, including beefing up training and morale.

Earlier this month China announced a further double-digit rise in its defence budget, raising it by 10.7 percent to 720.2 billion yuan ($116.3 billion) in 2013.

.


Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily Express :: SpaceWar Express :: TerraDaily Express :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

Get Our Free Newsletters
Space - Defense - Environment - Energy - Solar - Nuclear

...





TAIWAN NEWS
China, Taiwan to consider exchanging liaison offices
Taipei (AFP) March 21, 2013
Taiwan and China have agreed to consider exchanging liaison offices in yet another sign of warming ties between the former rivals, officials said Thursday. The offices could be used to improve relations and boost ties in areas such as trade, culture, education and emergency response, although no details have yet been specified. The two sides agreed to discuss the proposal during a recent ... read more


TAIWAN NEWS
H.K. court rejects landmark residency bid by maids

Outside View: TPP and Asian economies

Resources giveaway in Latin America tramples human rights and environment

Chinese workers jailed for high-rise demo in Singapore

TAIWAN NEWS
China authorities 'got $5 trillion' from land: economist

Understanding the continuous corn yield penalty

Genetic analysis saves major apple-producing region of Washington state

Dead ducks in China river as swine flow eases

TAIWAN NEWS
China's Xi vows to 'intensify' ties with Africa

South Sudan rebel ambush kills 20 soldiers: official

China president in Tanzania on start of African tour

Outside View: Can North Africa be saved?

TAIWAN NEWS
China car maker BYD reports profit plunge

Man creates car that runs on liquid air

Greener cars could slash US pollution by 2050: study

Volkswagen eyes Chinese growth after record profits

TAIWAN NEWS
British bad weather kills one, closes nuclear site

Temelin, a Czech village overshadowed by disputed nuclear plant

Cooling systems restored at Fukushima reactors: TEPCO

Rat linked to outage at Fukushima atomic plant

TAIWAN NEWS
Papers link top China university to army 'hacking' unit

Vietnam War whistleblower defends WikiLeaks 'hero'

Taiwan sets up Internet shield to tackle China 'hacking'

S. Korea tracks cyber attack to China, North still suspect

TAIWAN NEWS
Tokyo submits US base relocation plan to Okinawa

Police find 'nothing' in radiation search of Berezovsky home

New US commander takes charge of Mideast forces

Commentary: Obama's Gordian Knot

TAIWAN NEWS
France publishes 1GW offshore wind tenders

Davey lauds, warns Scotland on renewables

Uruguay deal boosts S. America wind power

Huge wind farm turbine snaps in Japan




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement