Taiwan drills military as concerns over China grow

By JOHNSON LAI, HUIZHONG WU and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

JIADONG, Taiwan (AP) — An F-16 screeched across the sky before landing on a highway cut through pineapple fields in southwestern Taiwan to refuel quickly and take off again. The Taiwanese military exercise Wednesday envisions a Chinese attack taking out the island’s main airfields, necessitating the use of rural roads as runways to carry on the fight. War is not imminent, but as China has grown increasingly assertive in both the East China and South China Seas, Taiwan is stepping up its defense. Across the region, the United States and its allies are deepening military cooperation and strategizing over an effective response.