1.   A Hong Kong newspaper meanwhile said Thursday that China was prepared to attack Taiwan if its missile drill goes wrong and triggers retaliation.

2.   A Hong Kong newspaper, meanwhile, said Thursday China was prepared to attack Taiwan if its missile drill goes wrong and triggers retaliation.

3.   Asian countries anxiously monitored the standoff in the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday after the United States warned China over its plans to stage missile drills just off Taiwan.

4.   China is to hold a week-long missile drill, the fourth military exercise in eight months and the closest to Taiwan, beginning Friday.

5.   China renewed its verbal attacks against Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui on Wednesday as the Chinese military prepared for missile drills off the Taiwan coast.

6.   The missile drill was considered a hostile act by both the government and the residents here.

7.   The Sing Tao Daily report coincided with tension between China and Taiwan, with Beijing staging two missile drills in the East China Sea in recent months.

8.   The Taiwanese military placed troops on outlying islands on red alert as of last Friday, when the mainland began a week of missile drills off the Taiwanese coast.

9.   The week-long missile drill was scheduled to end at midnight Friday.

10.   It also conducted a six-day missile drill near Taiwan to warn against any official division act.