Taiwan blasts US missiles towards China for first time in major development

Taiwan has blasted US rockets towards China for the first time in a major military development amid escalating international tensions.

The military exercise marked the inaugural westward deployment of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS.

The two-day drill took place near Taichung city along a 12-mile coastal stretch known as "red beaches", areas deemed likely landing points for any Chinese assault.

Taiwan's defence ministry said: "The live-fire exercise was based on a scenario simulating an enemy amphibious force attempting to invade the central region."

Previous tests had only been conducted from the island's southeastern coast into the Pacific Ocean.

Security analyst William Yang described the decision to fire towards China from the west coast as "symbolically significant".

"Due to the current enemy threat, we will continue HIMARS training with unwavering determination to protect Taiwan as the nation's strongest force," Army Sergeant Wang Ming-hui said.

The HIMARS vehicles showed off their rapid response capability, manoeuvring into position and launching rockets within three minutes of receiving orders.

Reduced-range practice rockets were used, landing in the water shortly after launch.

US-made Paladin howitzers, anti-tank missiles and Taiwan's domestically produced Thunderbolt-2000 rocket system also featured in the exercises.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province which will eventually fall under its control.

On an almost daily basis, Beijing sends warships and military aircraft into waters and skies near the island.

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While the US does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent nation, Washington confirmed it opposes any forcible change to the island's status.

America has continued to be Taiwan's primary supplier of defensive weapons.

The HIMARS system forms part of a US-backed asymmetric defence strategy, hoping to deter Chinese aggression rather than matching Beijing's military might in a direct display of war.

The truck-mounted launchers can fire missiles from concealed positions before relocating rapidly.

Washington announced plans back in December to sell 82 additional HIMARS systems to Taiwan as part of a substantial arms package.

But the deal now appears to be on hold following President Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last month, after which Mr Trump warned Taiwan against declaring independence.

He told Fox News: "We're supposed to travel 9,500 miles (15,289km) to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down."

The President added: "We're not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China's going to be okay with that."

Taiwan's foreign ministry said: "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China."

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