Taiwan ‘fully prepared’ for any Chinese invasion: Defense chief

Taiwan's top defense chief on Wednesday said the military is "fully prepared" to defend the country against any Chinese invasion.

"Taiwan's military would be 'fully prepared' for any Chinese invasion whether Beijing decides to move up or push back a purported timeline to do so," Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said.

His comments came as the Taiwanese military held a live-fire drill early today "simulating the use of cannons and tanks to repel invading Chinese forces," official Focus Taiwan reported.

The drills were held in offshore Penghu county.

"The military knows what it will have to do, whether in the next second or the next hour, while preparing for war. It will not sit idly by whether Beijing moves up or pushes back (its timeline to militarily invade Taiwan), it will have its own timeline, and it will pay attention to signs and make forecasts about possible developments accordingly," Chiu said.

The minister reiterated the "need for the military to defend itself if it sustained a 'first strike' from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA)."

"Just like if someone tries to push you, you must dodge or deflect him," he said.

In Penghu county, the Taiwanese military held the monthly exercise, firing howitzers, mortars, machine guns, and automatic weapons "at simulated enemy forces attacking a beach."

China considers Taiwan as its "breakaway province" while Taiwan insists on its independence since 1949 with independent diplomatic relations with 14 nations.