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Taiwan holds air defence drill ahead of president's Pacific trip

Taiwan's military held an early morning air defence drill on Thursday to evaluate its reaction and engagement procedures, ahead of a trip by President Lai Chingte at the end of the week to the Pacific that will consist of stopovers in Hawaii and Guam.

China is most likely to launch military drills in the coming days near Taiwan, using Lai's upcoming trip to the Pacific and set up stopovers in the United States as a pretext, according to assessments by Taiwan and local security officials.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own area and says Lai is a separatist. Lai states just Taiwan's. people can decide their future and has consistently offered talks. with Beijing that have been rebuffed.

Taiwan's air force command said in a statement that made no. mention of Lai's overseas journey that for a two-hour duration. starting from 5 a.m. (2100 GMT Wednesday) aircraft, ships and. rocket systems were involved in an overall air defence battle. plan workout.

The drill was to strengthen the general efficiency of. air defence operations and to check the action and engagement. procedures of the air defence forces, it included.

In the face of changes in the opponent situation, we will. continue to enhance defence strength through various useful. training to expect possible threats and obstacles and. guarantee air defence security, the command stated.

The defence ministry informed Reuters independently that it was a. regular drill carried out quarterly.

Reuters correspondents in the northern Taipei residential areas. reported seeing and hearing fighter jets in the skies as dawn. broke.

Lai will leave on Saturday for his overseas journey, his first. outside of Taiwan because presuming office in May, and is making. official visits to Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of. the 12 nations to maintain formal ties with Taipei.

Taiwan's main Central News Agency stated Lai would likewise. spend two nights in Hawaii and one night in Guam, meeting with. members of the overseas Taiwan community and having closed-door. meetings with believe tanks.

Taiwan presidents generally make use of what are. formally only stopovers in the United States to satisfy friendly. U.S. politicians and give speeches as part of visits to. remote allies in the Pacific, Latin America or the Caribbean.

China has actually performed 2 rounds of major war games around. Taiwan so far this year, and on a daily basis flies aircraft and. sends out ships into the skies and waters around Taiwan.

Taiwan has also suffered Chinese balloons flying near. the island in what the federal government says is a pattern of. harassment by Beijing.

On Thursday, the ministry stated the previous day it had. spotted two Chinese balloons flying out at sea to the north of. Taiwan, at ranges of 60 nautical miles (111 km) and 88. nautical miles (163 km) from the port city of Keelung.

Late Wednesday, the governmental office said that if China. were to utilize Lai's journey as a reason to launch military. workouts, it would be an outright provocation of the status quo. of peace and stability in the region.

The exact same day, China's federal government stated such transit stops. were essentially provocative acts that break the one-China. concept.

(source: Reuters)