China has expanded military training aimed at Taiwan to include practice for a “short, sharp war” with Japan, a senior US naval officer has said.

Captain James Fannell, director of intelligence and information operations for the US Pacific Fleet, made the assertion at a conference in San Diego, California, on Thursday last week.

He said that all branches of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) trained for taking over the disputed Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) in Taiwan — during a large military exercise held recently.