Taipei, July 29 (CNA) The military drill conducted by Beijing's navy along the coast across from Taiwan on Thursday is a regular military exercise rather than saber-rattling against Taiwan, said a military spokesman on Thursday.
Kung Fan-ting, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense (MND), said that the drill, touted by Beijing's Hong Kong mouthpiece -- Wen Wei Pao -- as large-scale war games aimed at Taiwan, is a routine military exercise undertaken by the People's Liberation Army. The MND closely monitored the drill, Kung said.
Although the exercise, staged along the coastline of Quanzhou City, Fujian province, included the activation of navy reserves and the mock commandeering of private ships, there have been no unusual signs that should trigger alarm in Taiwan, said Kung.
Mainland China used to stage war games during the June-September period every year, and games were often held in the run-up to mainland China's Aug. 1 Military Day and its Oct. 1 National Day, said the military spokesman in a bid to pacify the public.
Although the exercises, which usually involve only reserves and do not involve the use of arms, pose no threat to Taiwan, the MND will nevertheless keep an eye on them, said Kung.
(By Maubo Chang)
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