HONGKONG, May 25. /TASS/. Taiwan's armed forces began live-fire exercises on Thursday on the island-controlled Penghu Archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, the island's Military News Agency says.

The military is reported to be using flares for 120-millimeter mortars and practicing the destruction of air targets with machine guns. Also, M60A3 tanks (an upgraded version of the US main battle tank M60) fired live ammunition, and the infantry practiced operations to defend the coast against an amphibious landing.

According to the agency, the exercise is to test the combat effectiveness of the garrison amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

On Wednesday, Taiwan's Armed Forces began large-scale exercises to repel a hypothetical amphibious landing on the northeast coast of the island. According to the scenario, the enemy landed simultaneously on three beaches near the city of Yilan. Ground units are to defend the coast. The role of attackers is played by marines and forces of the so-called 151st fleet of Taiwan’s navy a group of ships specializing in amphibious operations. The exercise will end on Thursday.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after suffering a defeat in China’s civil war. Since then, Taiwan has preserved the flag and some other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed in mainland China before the Communists came to power. Beijing regards the island as one of its provinces.