Taiwan media say the island's military was able to surround and defeat a 100,000-strong Chinese invasion force in a recent computerized war game.

The report in Taiwan's China Times was repeated in Taiwan and Chinese media, including the Communist Party-run People's Daily, which said the mainland force was “annihilated” in the exercise.

China Times quoted an anonymous military source saying it was the most successful performance by Taiwan troops in a computerized war game in several years. It said Taiwan forces had been defeated in some similar exercises in the past.

The military source attributed Taiwan's success to its ability to move its jet fighters into a hollowed-out mountain during initial Chinese missile strikes, enabling it to achieve air superiority later in the engagement. The simulation also provided a test of new locally developed weapon systems that Taiwan plans to deploy later this year.

The new weapons include an unmanned aerial vehicle and the Hsiungfeng III supersonic anti-ship missile, which were assumed to be operational for the purposes of the exercise.

China Times said the exercise began with a Chinese bombardment by about 1,000 ballistic and cruise missiles, followed by successful paratrooper landings at Taiwan's military airports. It said China then landed about 100,000 troops from amphibious craft, fishing boats and other vessels.

The newspaper said Taiwan's 10th Army Corps was able to fend off some smaller landing forces and then stage a counter-attack with support from other units and the island's 600,000 reservists. It said Taiwan's troops were able to surround and defeat the Chinese force.

China has long threatened to reunite Taiwan with the mainland, by military force if necessary. U.S. law requires the United States to provide Taiwan with sufficient weapons to defend itself, creating a major source of friction with China.