Taipai | Mar 7

AFP - Taiwan is to stage the island's largest ever military exercises in July, a newspaper reported Monday, amid mounting tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

More than 20,000 soldiers would be mobilised for the wargames to be held in northeast Ilan county, although 50,000 personnel would be involved in the exercises overall, the Apple Daily said.

The report comes amid high tensions between Taipei and Beijing after Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's last week scrapped the advisory council on reunifying with the Chinese mainland.

The drills were intended to "assess the defence capabilities backed up by some newly acquired weaponry," the Apple Daily quoted an unnamed defence ministry official as saying.