Taiwan to stage offshore live-fire military drills at Quemoy and other islets after several recent incidents in area
- Artillery exercises scheduled through April at Quemoy, where 2 mainland fishermen died during Taiwanese coastguard pursuit last month, and other islets
- Land-based drills are ‘routine’ and exercises will not face the mainland coast, military source says
Taiwan will kick off a series of live-fire military drills next month in the area around its offshore islets, including Quemoy, a source of mounting friction between Taipei and Beijing following a series of recent marine incidents.
The Kinmen Defence Command under the Taiwanese army will stage artillery exercises to bolster combat readiness at seven areas around Quemoy, also known as Kinmen, throughout April, according to a notice by Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency.
Those include areas on Quemoy, a Taiwanese defence outpost just opposite the mainland city of Xiamen, and its tiny outlying islets of Houyu, Fuyun, Fuxing, Shiyu, Muyu and Lieyu.
The drills will take place over about 20 days between April 2 and April 30.
In the exercises, land-based weapons will be used to fire at the sea with maximum height trajectories ranging up to 6,600 feet (2,012 metres). All vessels and planes are prohibited from sailing in the vicinity of the drills, the notice said.
“They are routine drills and do not target any specific entity,” the source said, adding that none of the designated exercise areas face the mainland coast.
Taiwan’s concerns grow over Quemoy waters as Beijing steps up patrols
Cross-strait tensions flared last month after the two sides traded blame over who should be blamed for the death of two mainland fishermen who died as they were pursued by the Taiwanese coastguard on February 14.
Taiwan insisted it was merely enforcing the law by ordering the fishermen to stop for inspection after their unregistered and unlicensed speedboat entered waters off Quemoy.
Beijing – which regards Taiwan as part of China and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control – accused the Taiwanese coastguard of using “violent and dangerous methods” in their pursuit.
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War scarred bunkers on Quemoy reflect the islands’ frontline role in Taiwan Strait tension
Taiwan has sent patrol vessels to warn off the mainland ships when they have sailed into the waters off Quemoy and Matsu, raising concerns in Taipei that unintended incidents could break out.
Last month, mainland coastguard officers boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat to check the vessel’s licence and captain’s certificate, further stoking cross-strait tensions.
Taiwan’s intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen has said the increased patrols by the mainland coastguard in the area were part of Beijing’s grey-zone, or non-military, tactic to pressure Taiwan.
Mainland coastguards ‘no threat’ if they stay clear of Taiwan’s land forces
The elevated tensions have prompted the United States to call for both sides to exercise restraint and resolve the issue peacefully. The US, like most countries, does not recognise the self-ruled island as independent, but is opposed to any forcible change to the status quo and is committed to arming the island.
The military source brushed aside suggestions that the island’s military intended to stoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
“These exercises will also be staged at other Taiwanese offshore islets next month. They have been planned well ahead of the incident,” the source said.
According to separate notices issued by the fisheries agency, similar live-fire exercises will be held at Matsu and its outlying islet of Dongyin for eight days throughout April and four days at Pescadores or Penghu.
The island’s coastguard will also hold its quarterly live-fire drills on April 27 and May 4 in the waters off Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island, one of the notices said.
