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| Chinese Amphibious Tanks during an Exercise |
Chen Chun-shuo and Staff Reporter
China is holding a live-fire military exercise in waters off the southeastern province of Fujian from Friday to Sunday.
Since 1996, Beijing has often taken action to warn against Taiwan independence before or after major elections or when there are growing calls for independence.
The fact that China is holding two military exercises within just a month and a half shows that the main purpose of China's military drills over the past 20 years has been to warn against independence for the self-governed island, according to an analysis piece in Want Daily on Friday.
The first Chinese military exercises that aimed at delivering a message to Taiwan were held in 1995 and 1996, when China fired more than 10 Dong-Feng 15 ballistic missiles in waters off Fujian and deployed numerous aircraft and military ships, triggering the Taiwan Strait Crisis.
Tensions across the strait were heightened at the time because Beijing was angered by a visit by then-Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui to the United States that included a speech at Cornell University.
Read the full story at Want China Times