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The simulation, carried out on Tuesday, follows remarks by Chinese state media claiming China’s president Xi Jinping is preparing for multiple armed conflicts. Last month, Newspaper Global Times reported that Mr Xi “said the PLA Navy Marine Corps is an elite force for amphibious operations, and it shoulders the important duties of safeguarding the country’s sovereignty security, territorial integrity, maritime interests, and overseas interests.”

It added: “He urged the PLA Navy Marine Corps to speed up the upgrading of their combat capabilities to forge a powerful troop, with battle-wise soldiers, which is integrated and versatile in operation, swift in response, and capable of fighting under multi-dimensional conditions.

“Chinese military analysts said that the inspection to the corps sent a signal that China will speed up its preparation for any potential military conflict in the water areas and islands in regions like the Taiwan Straits, South and East China Seas, as well as the regions of significant overseas interests, as the strategic pressure from foreign hostile forces against China is increasing.

“Xi said the Marine Corps should focus on war preparedness and combat capabilities, and maintain a high level of readiness, adding that the force should stick to combat-oriented training and strengthen mission-oriented training tailored to the specific needs and force-on-force training.”

The outlet threw its support behind the publication of a “Taiwan secessionists” blacklist, event though just two weeks earlier a former Taiwanese intelligence agent said the release would provoke an open conflict.

The video showing the military drill was taken off the coast of Guangdong in China.

According to the local Times, the region is hosting joint armed forces drills between November 17 and 30.

In a Twitter post, the news outlet touted the PLA’s records achieved in the assault simulation.

It wrote: “PLA Navy recently conducted amphibious assault drills offshore of South China’s Guangdong Province, setting up multiple records including ‘fastest speed’ and ‘longest combat range’”

Earlier this year Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu issued warning about his country’s escalating tensions with China.

Speaking to German media outlet DW he said: “The threat from China is very real. Therefore, Taiwan’s preparation is also very serious. We are trying to deal with the military threat, day in and day out.”

He called on the democratic powers to get involved in the conflict instead of looking away while China “is expanding outward”.

Mr Wu said: “They are trying to export the authoritarian international order while democracies are following the rule-based international order.

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“If China succeeds in taking Taiwan over I think the rest of the world, especially for democracies, is going to feel the heat.

“China is expanding outward.

“Taiwan happens to be on the front line.”

In 2019 President Xi spoke of the use of force in dealing with the “Taiwanese question”.

He said: “We do not promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option to use all necessary measures.”

Writing in the Apple Daily, Senior lecturer in Chinese studies at Monash University Kevin Carrico said: “Taiwan, like pre-1997 Hong Kong, embodies all of the greatness that can be achieved when a Sinitic society is not burdened by the failed rule of the Chinese Communist Party.

“Massively embarrassed by so much winning on Taiwan’s part, Beijing is determined to export its failed system and thereby drag every nation that it claims down to the same level of political hopelessness that it has forced on China for decades.”

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