Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen prepares military amid tensions with China

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday reassured the public of his country’s military readiness ahead of a planned Chinese military exercise in the Taiwan Strait.

“Tsai reviewed the combat readiness and rapid-response capabilities of Taiwan’s military from on board a Kidd-class destroyer as part of a military drill held in waters off Taiwan’s east coast,’’ local media reported.

The drill is a simulated response should Chinese invading forces attempt to seize Taiwan’s major sea ports through air and naval attacks.

Tsai’s comments came a day after China announced a live-firing military exercise for April 18 amid tensions over increased support from the U.S. for Taiwan’s independence-oriented government.

“The State Department has given the green light for U.S. defense companies to market submarine technology to Taiwan for the island’s domestic submarine construction programme,’’ Taiwan’s military said recently.

On Thursday, China released information of the drill off its south-eastern Fujian Province, or western Taiwan Strait, just hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was on the southern island of Hainan, inspected China’s largest-ever naval parade.

Taiwan has had a separate government since 1949, when Chinese nationalists fled there after losing a civil war to the communists in China.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory.