The People’s Liberation Army has carried out an urban warfare drill, according to state media, in what appears to be a response to Taipei’s bid to fund improved “asymmetric capabilities”.
In a report on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of troops carrying out an operation to seize a built-up area in a war-torn city.
The drill – involving reconnaissance, clearing and occupation – was part of a live-fire exercise conducted by a PLA Ground Force brigade that aimed to “test multiple combat skills that are essential for urban offensive operations”, according to the report.
The infantry unit was shown moving into an area of concrete ruins in a light protected tactical vehicle and taking over a target building deemed critical to the city’s infrastructure.
Armed with rifles and portable anti-tank rockets, the soldiers were shown manoeuvring past obstacles including burning barricades on the road and barbed wire. The vehicle had a heavy machine gun mounted on it and a reconnaissance turret.
While the report did not say when or where the exercise was conducted, it was aired soon after Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te proposed a US$40 billion “supplementary defence budget” for the self-ruled island last week.