Taiwan fires anti-tank missiles near China as Trump plans talks with Xi on arms sales to Taipei

Taiwan on Wednesday fired US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles during a military drill in Kinmen, 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of China's Xiamen city, ahead of US President Donald Trump's state visit to China during which he said he plans to discuss arms sales to Taipei with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The live-fire exercise simulated a Chinese amphibious invasion, with Javelin missiles targeting mock enemy amphibious vehicles while tanks, armored vehicles, and drones supported beach defense operations, according to Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS.

"I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi," Trump Monday told reporters at the White House when asked about US support for Taiwan's defense. "President Xi would like us not to, and I’ll have that discussion. That’s one of the many things I’ll be talking about."

According to The New York Times, a bipartisan group of senators has urged Trump to move ahead with a delayed record $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan that has been stalled at the State Department for months.

The Kinmen Defense Command described the FGM-148 Javelin as a key asymmetric warfare weapon, highlighting its "fire-and-forget" capability, precision, and rapid response, with an effective range of about 2,500 meters (8,202 feet).

Training included coordinated operations, key area fire suppression, main defensive zone combat, and limited objective attacks to address gray zone threats.

The drill is part of Taiwan’s regular quarterly Taiwu Exercise, with a similar exercise conducted in March.

Separately, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council on Tuesday condemned Beijing for urging local media outlets to "jointly expose Taiwan independence separatist activities," according to Focus Taiwan.

It warned that Taiwanese media representatives could face prosecution if they cooperate with Beijing.

China considers Taiwan its "breakaway province," while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.