Taiwan holds latest military drills following elections

Taiwanese marines std drills Thursday as part of a series of military exercises following reelection of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen. exercises focused on neutralizing threat from small groups of assailants through small arms fire and hand-to-hand fighting.

As in all such drills, assumed enemy is military of China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if need be.

Or exercises earlier in week featured Taiwan's air force, which is undergoing a major upgre with acquisition of latest version of U.S. F-16 fighters and or vanced techlogy.

China has an overwhelming vant in numbers of aircraft, ships and missiles with which it threatens Taiwan, prompting island to upgre its defences with high-techlogy solutions.

Any attack would also likely draw in U.S., which is legally obligated to consider threats to island's security as a matter of “grave concern.”

China's strategies toward wresting control over Taiwan are believed to include using special forces to seize key military, political and ecomic infrastructure sites while degring island's defences with aerial bombing and missile attacks.

Even on n-election years, Taiwan's military generally holds exercises in mid-winter to show its preparedness to defend island over Lunar New Year festival, which this year begins on Jan. 25.