(AFP) Taiwan held its first military exercises at Taoyuan International Airport on Wednesday, a simulation of the airport’s defense against a suspected attack by China, which forced a brief interruption of commercial air traffic.
The drills are part of war exercises – the “Han Kuang” training maneuvers – that this year have included the protection of civilian airports, in a context of growing military and political pressure on the island from Beijing.
It is the first time such exercises have been held at Taoyuan airport, Taiwan’s largest, near the capital Taipei.
Military expert Alexander Huang said Taiwan was inspired by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which last year prevented Russian paratroopers from taking control of Antonov airport outside Kiev.
“Taking over an adversary’s airport is key to deploying a good number of air assault forces during an invasion operation,” explained Huang, of Taipei’s Tamkang University.
“In addition to familiarizing our forces with command and control, these exercises also send a signal to potential enemies who are preparing for this kind of possibility,” he told AFP.
Air traffic was halted for half an hour for dozens of military personnel to fight off “enemies” arriving in attack helicopters and landing on the runway.
Airport police and firefighters also took part in the operation, which the government says seeks to combine civilian and military forces to protect key infrastructure.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has stepped up pressure in recent years and conducts raids with warplanes near the island almost every day. It has also deployed ships in Taiwan’s territorial waters.
Taiwan often holds military exercises, but in recent months its civilian component has increased.
“We need to start from the concept of ‘a complete defense society’, to integrate and utilize the resources of the army, central government, local governments and civilian sectors and coordinate all units to work together,” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said during a visit to a Taoyuan oil refinery, where drills were also held.
Blinken criticizes China’s ‘problematic behavior’ during Tonga visit
(Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of “problematic behavior” by China during a visit to the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Wednesday, citing Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea and what he called economic coercion.
China’s growing presence in the region, which saw it sign a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year, has fueled concern from the United States and Australia about Beijing’s ambitions and spurred increased aid and engagement from the West.
Blinken told a press conference that the US has no objections to China’s engagement with the region, but there are concerns that its investments need to be transparent and carried out with sustainable funding.
“I think one of the things we’ve seen is that as China’s engagement in the (Indo-Pacific) region has grown, there has been, from our perspective, increasingly problematic behavior,” he said.
Blinken earlier held talks with Tonga’s Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni on the strategic importance of the Pacific region, ahead of his visits to the two major South Pacific powers, Australia and New Zealand.
Blinken said the United States is committed to both Tonga and the Pacific islands. His trip is the latest by a high-ranking U.S. official to the region, and U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the first summit in Washington with Pacific island leaders last September. A second summit is scheduled for this year.
In recent years, China has funded infrastructure and increased its diplomatic presence in the region. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi conducted a multi-stop tour of the Pacific last year.