Top generals from the Chinese People's Liberation Army watched a computerized air defense exercise held Thursday in the port city of Tianjin.

Analysts see the event as the first phase of a combined land, sea, and air operation simulating an assault on Taiwan scheduled to take place this month on Dongshan Island off the coast of Fujian province.

The Xinhua news agency said the air defense exercise, first of its kind online, was observed by General Cao Gangchuan, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and also a member of the Politburo Central Committee.

Also present were General Liang Guanglie, a member of the CMC, chief of general staff of the PLA and commander of the Nanjing military area as well as Zhang Lichang, Politburo Central Committee member and Communist Party secretary of Tianjin.