Taiwan Conducts Military Drills in the South China Sea

Taiwan Navy Conducts Joint Marine Corps Training in Pratas Islands and Taiping Island

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Taiwan is conducting military exercises in the South China Sea. This is a counter-response training against the frequent incursions of Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

According to Taiwan's United Daily News on the 17th, Taiwan's Coast Guard will conduct first-quarter exercises on the Pratas Islands and Taiping Island in the Spratly Islands (Chinese name: Nansha Islands), which Taiwan effectively controls, on the 1st and 23rd of next month. Taiwanese media reported that these exercises are joint military drills conducted with the Marine Corps.

Chinese anti-submarine patrol aircraft Win-8 (Photo by Baidu capture)

Earlier, when news emerged that the Chinese military would conduct large-scale amphibious landing exercises assuming the occupation of the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea near Hainan Island, where the second aircraft carrier Shandong is deployed, Taiwan stationed and deployed Marines in these areas.

Taiping Island is the largest reef effectively controlled by Taiwan in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The Taiwanese military is known to have deployed 40mm anti-aircraft guns, 120mm mortars, AT-4 anti-tank rockets, and expanded the military aircraft runway there.

Some in Taiwan are also voicing strong opinions that the introduction of aerial refueling aircraft and the construction of large warships are necessary to enhance the combat capabilities of F-16 fighter jets in the area.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense announced that at around 9:09 a.m. the previous day, a Chinese anti-submarine patrol aircraft (Y-8) entered the southwestern ADIZ, and at the same time, a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft conducted reconnaissance flights nearby.