China carries out beach landing drills in province opposite Taiwan

The action involved "shock" troops, sappers and boat specialists, Chinese military newspaper says


Reuters October 11, 2021
The sun sets over China's southeastern coast of Fujian as seen from Taiwan's frontline island of Kinmen on September 11, 2004. PHOTO: REUTERS

BEIJING:

China's military said on Monday it had carried out beach landing and assault drills in the province directly across the sea from Taiwan, though it did not link the exercises to current tensions with Taipei.

Democratically ruled Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has complained of stepped-up military and political pressure from Beijing to force it to accept Chinese rule, including massed air force incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone.

The official People's Liberation Army Daily newspaper, in a brief report on its Weibo microblogging account, said the drills had been carried out "in recent days" in the southern part of Fujian province.

Read more: WATCH: China's Xi vows 'peaceful reunification' with Taiwan

The action had involved "shock" troops, sappers and boat specialists, the Chinese military newspaper added. The troops were "divided into multiple waves to grab the beach and perform combat tasks at different stages", it added, without providing further details.

It showed a video of soldiers in small boats storming a beach, throwing smoke grenades, breaking through barbed wire defences and digging trenches in the sand.

The drills appeared to involve a small number of troops.

The weather was clear and the seas were calm - suggesting the drill did not happen on Monday as southern Fujian is currently being affected by a tropical storm passing between Taiwan and the Philippines.

Also read: Taiwan won't be forced to bow to China, president says

Fujian would be a key launching site for any Chinese invasion of Taiwan due to its geographical proximity.

China routinely carries out military exercises up and down its coast as well as in the South China Sea.

Taiwan has denounced what it calls China's coercive tactics against it and says it will defend itself if attacked.

Over the weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated a vow to "reunify" Taiwan, and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan will not be forced to bow to China.

COMMENTS (1)

Ubaid Muzaffar | 2 years ago | Reply

I have already shared my commentary on many post on such security and defense issue that as viewing amicably it is excellent that Chinese Military is keeping abreast of from everything happening in surroundings but China is preparing more active on its eastern borderlands MnZ in south china sea but Chinese Military ought to be more pragmatically attentive on its southern borders as Indian Militarism is more perplexed as Indian Military is habitual of doing surgical strikes whether environment is peaceful and filled with Gorgeousness everywhere. America self proclamation is Indispensable but India s  Policy is more important to be understood. 

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