Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Monday allayed public fears raised by a Hong Kong newspaper report that mainland China is preparing to hold large-scale anti-air raid exercises in late February.
The Sing Tao daily said in Monday's report that a large number of anti-aircraft missiles and various types of fighter planes have arrived in coastal regions of Fujian Province to prepare for the exercises.
An MND official said that it is customary for Beijing to try to intimidate Taiwan through the Hong Kong media, and pointed out that even if the reports were true, there would be no reason to worry, since anti-air raid exercises are by definition defensive rather than combative, and pose no threat to Taiwan's security.
According to the report, Beijing's anti-aircraft missile forces will conduct live ammunition drills using targets meant to represent F16s, indigenous defense fighters (Ching-kuo fighters), and Mirage-2000s, all of which are used by Taiwan's air force, as well as B1 stealth bombers and various cruise missiles.
The report also said that the exercise is supposed to be a warning to Taiwan's stepped-up military capacity, and will also be the first military exercise which will attempt to intimidate Taiwan in the run-up to the March 18 presidential election.
The MND official said that the military movements in Fujian Province are considered normal by the Taiwan military.
But he added that the real point to be made is that the Hong Kong media has become a mouthpiece for mainland China, and that Beijing is obviously not ruling out continuing to use the Hong Kong media to conduct psychological intimidation of the people of Taiwan.
He also stressed that even the report were true, there would be no need to worry, because the armed forces keeps close tabs on mainland Chinese military exercises, and will inform the public in due time of any serious situation. (By Lilian Wu)
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