CHINA announced a new series of war games yesterday, to straddle Taiwan's first direct presidential elections next week, and heap more pressure on the island's voters to shun dreams of independence.
"We should never allow one single inch of land to be split off our motherland's territory," said a belligerent editorial to be published in the People's Liberation Army Daily, and the Communist Party organ, the People's Daily on Saturday and issued by the Xinhua news agency.
The March 18th-25th manoeuvres in the narrow Taiwan Strait will be China's closest so far to Taiwanese held territory and its most intimidating show of force.
Chinese army, navy and air force drills are to be carried out in a rectangle blocking half the north end of the narrow straits dividing Taiwan from the mainland. China warned all air and shipping to keep out of the zone just a few miles off the small, Taiwan held island of Wuchiu.
The military said the Second Artillery Force had completed eight days of missile tests in and over a sea area just off Taiwan two main ports, successfully firing four missiles that hit their targets, Xinhua said.
China's state television showed footage of missiles flaming vertically into the night sky from land launch sites and then a red ball of fire at impact in the sea.
China's air force and navy this week launched war games involving dozens of fighter planes and warships at the southern neck of the straits in its drive to menace Taiwan into giving up any ambition for independence as the island's 21 million people prepare to go to the polls to elect a president on March 23rd.
Although Beijing has assured the US it does not plan to attack Taiwan. its sabre rattling against the island has prompted Washington to send two aircraft carrier groups to monitor the region.
Beijing has regarded the island as a rebel province since the nationalists fled there after their defeat by the communists at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.