Sights, Sounds of a Taiwan Military Drill Seeking to Deter China
- Taiwan invited journalists to watch nighttime live-fire drills
- Exercise follows Chinese military maneuvers encircling Taiwan
A M60A3 tank fires live rounds during the 'Chen-Chiang" exercise, in Penghu, Taiwan, on Oct. 24.
Photographer: Daniel Ceng/Anadolu/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
On a pitch-black Thursday evening at the center of one of the world’s riskiest geopolitical flash points, an array of Taiwanese tanks, armored vehicles, and troops are spread out across a breach, practicing for a scenario they hope never happens.
The official position in Washington and Taipei on conflict with China’s People’s Liberation Army is that it’s neither imminent nor inevitable. In Beijing, while the government has pledged to one day bring self-governed Taiwan under its control, officials have also said they’d prefer to do so peacefully.