Taipei, Sept. 5, (dpa/GNA) - Taiwan started a week of routine live-fire drills on Monday that will test combat capabilities of various infantry, armoured and helicopter assault units.
The exercises, which are routinely held every quarter, began Monday and will continue through Thursday, a defence ministry spokesman told dpa.
The drills are being held in Pingtung County in the island’s south and are expected to include AH-1W Super Cobra and AH-64E Apache attack helicopter exercises.
They mark the second set of live-fire exercises held by Taiwan’s military since high-ranking US officials including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rankled Beijing by visiting Taipei.
In response, China’s army carried out a five-day series of live-fire exercises by air, sea and missile forces in what many analysts have called a “reherashal blockade” against Taiwan.
Beijing rejects official contacts between countries and Taipei because it regards the island as part of China. Taiwan is self-ruled and has long seen itself as independent.
GNA