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Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) Mainland China's recent series of military drills, revealed by the press, are aimed at menacing Taiwan, a mainland affairs expert said on Tuesday.

Chang Jong-kung, director of the Mainland Affairs Research Department under the ruling Kuomintang, pointed out that Beijing will conduct a string of military exercises in the coming August-October period to mark the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party's holding of power in mainland China.

He called on the people of Taiwan to be aware of the situation and stay calm, saying that the mainland has no excuse to invade Taiwan as the ROC government does not have the intention to amend the constitution and insert into it President Lee Teng-hui's recent "special relationship" remarks.

Since mainland China's military exercises were seldom reported by the media in the past, Chang said the news of a missile test might be aimed at menacing Taiwan through the media.

Chang's remarks came one day after the media reported that mainland China successfully test-fired a ground-to-ground missile within its territory.

The news came amid escalating tensions between Taiwan and mainland China following Lee's July 9 announcement that Taiwan's ties with mainland China constitute a "special state-to-state relationship."

Beijing was infuriated by Lee's statement and accused him of seeking to separate Taiwan from the mainland. Beijing also claimed that the basis for two-way dialogue and exchanges no longer exists if Taiwan does not return to its "one China" principle.

Commenting on a position paper issued by the Mainland Affairs Council on Sunday night to clarify Lee's "special relationship" theory, Chang opined that Beijing should be able to accept Taipei's official stance.

As Taiwan and mainland China are not expected to break the impasse in their relations in the short term, Chang predicted that Beijing still needs time to digest Taipei's explanation, thereby casting a shadow on a planned autumn visit to Taiwan by Wang Daohan, mainland China's top negotiator with Taiwan.

(By Flor Wang)