Taiwan and China hold opposing military drills as tensions rise

China sees the island as a breakaway province to be annexed by force if necessary, and considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognising its sovereignty

A Taiwanese airforce F16V fighter jet takes part in night drill from the Hualien air base in Taiwan (Johnson Lai/AP)

Taiwan is holding military exercises to show its ability to resist Chinese pressure to accept Beijing’s political control over the self-governing island, following new rounds of threatening drills from China.

The exercises on Wednesday off the south-eastern county of Hualien follow days of Chinese missile firings and incursions into Taiwan’s sea and airspace by ships and planes from the People’s Liberation Army, the military wing of China’s ruling Communist Party.