J-16 fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command taxi on the runway during an aerial combat training exercise under complex electromagnetic conditions in early April, 2021.(Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn)

The island of Taiwan on Tuesday held military exercises and released a civil defense handbook in an apparent move to hype cross-Straits tensions, which was met with a negative reception on the island, and mainland experts said that neither move will be helpful to Taiwan secessionists should a conflict break out.

The armed forces on the island of Taiwan held a series of drills Tuesday morning, with the aim of testing the troops' joint air defense command and control capabilities, a spokesperson at Taiwan's defense authority said, after residents in many places on the island including Taipei and New Taipei City were awakened by the sound of warplanes, media on the island reported on Tuesday.

Taiwan's F-16 and IDF fighter jets simulated Chinese mainland warplanes, Taiwan media reported, but some Taiwan netizens said on social media that the drills are useless.

Also on Tuesday, Taiwan's defense authority released a civil defense handbook aimed at teaching residents on the island how to seek refuge in major emergencies, including a military conflict, Taiwan media reported, saying that the 28-page Chinese-language handbook contains QR codes for users to scan to access directions on where to go and what to do in a major emergency.

The handbook is being issued amid concerns over the possibility that the Chinese mainland could launch a cross-Straits conflict, reports said.

This was also questioned by the public on the island, with many asking if QR codes and a mobile network would still even be functional if communications infrastructures were destroyed.

From a military point of view, both the drills and the handbook are futile in saving "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces should a cross-Straits conflict break out, as the overwhelming capabilities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will render them useless, a Chinese mainland military expert told the Global Times on Tuesday, requesting anonymity.

The secessionist Democratic Progressive Party authority is only deceiving themselves, while also making a political show to hype cross-Straits tensions, the expert said.

PLA warplanes again entered Taiwan's self-proclaimed southwest air defense identification zone on Tuesday, marking a full attendance since the start of April, according to Taiwan media reports.

An aviation brigade based in East China affiliated with the PLA Air Force recently received a new batch of J-16 fighter jets, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday. This type of aircraft has been a frequent participant in the PLA's patrols and drills near the island of Taiwan.

The PLA's commissioning of more advanced fighter jets like the J-16 will eventually replace older fighter jets like the J-7 and the J-8, and contribute to the combat capability of the PLA, analysts said.

Even if a cross-Straits military conflict breaks out, the PLA will only target secessionists, not ordinary people, the expert said, noting that Taiwan's defense authority has an evil intent by issuing the handbook, as it is attempting to hype the "threat" of the mainland.