Taiwan mobilises air, sea & land forces as China launches surprise live-fire INVASION drills near WW3 flashpoint island

TAIWAN has mobilised its sea, air and land forces in response to a surprise Chinese invasion military drill.

China deployed 32 aircraft near Taiwan as part of a joint combat drill with Chinese warships and announced “live-fire exercises” just off the island’s coast.

AFP

Armed military vehicles patrol outside the Songshan Airport in Taipei on[/caption]

EPA

Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets maneuver in the sky[/caption]

The shocking military drill was conducted just a few miles off the island’s coast near Kaohsiung and Pingtung – where Taiwan has naval and air bases.

Taiwan’s military responded by sending sea, air and land forces to “monitor, alert and respond appropriately”, the country’s defence ministry said.

It added: “This move not only caused a high degree of danger to the safety of international flights and vessels at sea but is also a blatant provocation to regional security and stability.”

China has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years to press its claim of sovereignty over the island, which Taipei rejects.

The drills also come after Taiwan seized a Chinese-crewed cargo ship on Tuesday suspected of severing a subsea telecoms cable serving Taiwan’s Penghu island group.

There is growing concern in Taiwan over the security of its cables after a Chinese-owned cargo ship was suspected of cutting one northeast of the island this year.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.