According to Yonhap News on May 13, Taiwan's United Daily News reported that the Taiwan Army's Kinmen Defense Command carried out extensive live-fire exercises early that morning along the coast of Kinmen, the island closest to China. The drills simulated a potential landing invasion by the People's Liberation Army, utilizing artillery, tanks, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons to establish overlapping fire networks along the coastline to thwart enemy landing operations.
Notably, this exercise marked the first live-fire use of two U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles stationed in Kinmen.
The United Daily News quoted Taiwan's military authorities stating, "The exercise aimed to attack enemy landing infantry and armored vehicle targets at sea using Javelin missiles while providing cover for armored units advancing to the beachhead."
Participants included the Kinmen Defense Brigade, artillery battalions, support units, and amphibious reconnaissance teams, with training also focused on target detection, battlefield management, and real-time information sharing using drones and tactical command systems.
In the latter part of the drills, M60A3 tanks and CM21 armored vehicles were deployed to simulate combat scenarios to repel enemy forces attempting to land.
The timing of these exercises coincided with President Trump's state visit to Beijing, where he arrived that evening. He is scheduled to meet with President Xi at least six times over the course of May 14 and 15 to discuss key issues including economic, trade, and security matters. This will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since their encounter in Busan, South Korea, last October, and the first meeting in Beijing since Trump’s first term in November 2017.
Prior to his departure, Trump indicated at the White House that he would discuss the Taiwan issue with Xi, suggesting that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could be on the negotiation table.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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