War-game warming
China is to carry out its largest military exercises of the year this month aimed at sending a “substantial warning” to Taiwan separatists, state media reported yesterday. The military drills will take place on Dongshan Island in southeastern China’s Fujian province, just 150 nautical miles west of Taiwan’s Penghu Island, the Beijing News said. “The Dongshan Island exercises are different from exercises……. It is joint exercise of The three militaries (army, air force and navy). It’s the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) largest- scale exercise this year,” the Beijing News said The report did not say when the drills would start or how long they would last but similar drills in 2001 lasted for four months. Nor did it reveal how many soldiers would take part. AGENCE FRANCE – PRESSE