South China Sea conflict: Taiwan carries out urban warfare exercises in preparation for possible invasion

In the midst of China’s military exercises along with fears of a possible invasion of Taiwan, the island nation is making preparations of its own. The Taiwanese military recently carried out urban warfare drills as it anticipates a possible invasion by China.

Taiwanese soldiers have carried out simulated street battles as the island nation prepares to deter Chinese invasion. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not left out taking the island nation through military force. Taiwan has insisted on its independence and its democratic government has resisted the pressure campaign by Beijing so far.

“Any future battle to protect Taiwan will involve urban warfare,” Taiwanese army instructor Kiwi Yang told France 24. “Urban warfare training is very important because 90 percent of Taiwan’s population lives in towns and cities.

“The Chinese communist troops’ battle plans will be invading a landing first from coastal towns. Then the fighting will progress into populated residential and commercial areas and lastly push into mountainous villages,” Yang explained.

The latest military drills featured the Taiwanese Army infantry tanks carrying out complex operations in simulated urban settings.

This also comes as Taiwanese MP Wang Ting-Yu previously issued a warning to Beijing in response to the threats of invasion. Wang warned that any attempt to use military force or carry out an invasion would cost time and lives. Wang added that should China invade Taiwan, they would lose a key economic area in the region and that Chinese President Xi Jinping cannot successfully carry out an invasion as it takes up time and resources.

Aside from urban warfare drills, the Taiwanese army has also recently carried out drills simulating its interception of Chinese warplanes as China has repeatedly made incursions into its airspace. The drills aim to highlight the military’s readiness ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays that will take place this month. Taiwanese Major Yan Hsiang-Sheng touted the readiness of their pilots to deal with almost every type of Chinese aircraft.

“With the very high frequency of communist planes entering our ADIZ, pilots from our wing are very experienced and have dealt with almost all types of their aircraft,” said Yen.