President Tsai Ing-wen says the military must be vigilant to ensure national security. Tsai was speaking Tuesday while inspecting the troops in southern Taiwan.
Tsai said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, China continues to pose a military threat to Taiwan and regional security. Tsai accused China of intimidating Taiwan by dispatching its military aircraft to circle around the island during the outbreak of COVID-19.
The president called on the air force to ensure the safety of Taiwan’s airspace.
On Tuesday, the military held a drill to boost defense capabilities, contingency plans and training for anti-air attacks.
The drill that began at 5:30 am involved soldiers from the air force, the army and the navy in different parts of Taiwan. Eight F-16 fighters took off from an air force base in the eastern county of Hualien to practice intercepting enemy aircraft.