Military conducts defense drills in New Taipei amid Chinese exercises

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Taiwan's military on Tuesday conducted a series of emergency combat readiness drills in New Taipei in response to two days of military exercises by the Chinese People's Liberation Army around Taiwan.

According to the Military News Agency (MNA), the 53rd Engineer Group, under the Third Theater of Operations, carried out river blockade maneuvers at the mouth of the Tamsui River. The exercise simulated a scenario where engineers quickly deployed obstacles to obstruct enemy forces attempting to use the waterway to invade.

The drill came one day after China's Eastern Theater Command launched on Monday its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises, which designated five maritime and airspace zones around Taiwan and culminated in Tuesday's live-fire drills which were scheduled to conclude at 6 p.m.

During the exercise, engineers deployed M3 amphibious rig bridges and reconnaissance boats to position "explosive barrels" filled with fuel across the river.

The Third Theater of Operations said these floating obstacles are designed to be detonated remotely or via contact mines to destroy incoming enemy hovercraft and landing vessels.

The command emphasized that the deployment took into account the river's tidal shifts and depth changes, ensuring the obstacles remained stable and effective despite the challenging hydrological conditions of the Tamsui estuary, the MNA reported.

Military experts have long identified the Tamsui River as a critical vulnerability. The estuary is only eight kilometers from Guandu Bridge and approximately 22 kilometers from the Presidential Office and other key government buildings.

The river mouth, along with nearby Bali Beach and the Port of Taipei, form a "defensive triangle" for the capital. While Bali is a site for traditional amphibious landings, the Port of Taipei is a high-priority target that could be used by Chinese forces for "administrative offloading" to bypass beach landings and quickly move heavy equipment inland.