Military vehicles carrying DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missiles take part in a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 2019, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Greg Baker | AFP | Getty Images
Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday it was monitoring “waves” of missile tests in China's northernmost region of Inner Mongolia and that its air defence forces were on alert.
Democratically ruled Taiwan, which China considers its own province, closely monitors all Chinese military activity given Beijing's regular activities around the island, but rarely releases details of what it sees happening inside China.
The ministry said it had detected “multiple waves of test launches” by China's rocket force in Inner Mongolia, which is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) from Taiwan, as of 4 a.m. (2000 GMT Friday).
The ministry added that Taiwanese forces are constantly monitoring developments, and that air defense forces are on alert, without elaborating.
China's Defense Ministry did not respond to calls seeking comment outside business hours. The Rocket Force is responsible for China's conventional and nuclear missile arsenals.
In August 2022, China fired missiles into waters around Taiwan during war games to express its anger over then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei.
Taiwan operates powerful radar stations on some peaks of its central mountain range, which can look far into China, according to security sources.
China detests Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who took office in May, describing him as a “separatist” and has increased military pressure, including war games, since his inauguration.
Lai has repeatedly offered to hold talks with China, but China has refused. He rejects Beijing's claims to sovereignty, saying only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
