Taiwan weapons firm test-fires cruise missile believed to be capable of striking central and eastern mainland China

Taiwan's top weapons builder has test-fired a missile believed to be capable of hitting mainland China, as cross-strait tensions show no sign of abating.

It has also said it is working with local civilian companies to develop five types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to build up a drone fleet and boost the military’s surveillance ability.

The moves came amid increasingly active air and naval operations by the People’s Liberation Army around the self-ruled island in recent months. There have also been warnings from US military officials about the increasing risk of cross-strait conflict.