Taiwan’s military drills suggest deeper alignment with the US
The exercises will mobilize about 20,000 reservists and include urban resilience drills as Taiwan tests round-the-clock defense against China’s gray-zone pressure.
- On Wednesday, Taiwan launched the annual Han Kuang military exercises, scheduled to run through August 14, 2026, testing the armed forces' ability to sustain 24-hour defense operations.
- Incorporating American-style training methods, the drills aim to counter China's "gray-zone tactics" while shifting focus toward real combat capabilities rather than performative firepower displays of past years.
- The exercises mobilize around 20,000 reservists and emphasize urban resilience drills across Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei, while simulating telecommunications interference by reducing mobile internet speeds for about 30 minutes.
- Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te sought a $40 billion defense budget, yet parliament approved only $24.8 billion, leaving a $14 billion U.S. arms sales package in limbo.
- President Donald Trump described arms sales as a "very good negotiating chip" with Beijing after his May China visit, adding he does not want to "travel 9,500 miles to fight a war" over Taiwan.
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11 Articles
Han Kuang drills suggest deeper alignment with US
The structure of this year’s Han Kuang exercises indicate closer ties with the US military, while also emphasizing flexibility and resilience as opposed to primarily putting advanced weapons on display, experts said.The annual military drills began on Wednesday and are to extend through Friday next
Taiwan's Military Drills Suggest Deeper Alignment With US
Through this year's military drills, Taiwan has chosen to emphasize its army's and society's flexibility and resilience as opposed to primarily putting advanced weapons on display. Experts say the exercises' structure indicate...
Associated Press News
Taiwan’s military drills suggest deeper alignment with the US
Through this year’s military drills, Taiwan has chosen to emphasize its army’s and society’s flexibility and resilience as opposed to primarily putting advanced weapons on display.
On July 7, the DPP's China Department pointed out that after the Zheng-Xi meeting and the Trump-Xi meeting, the CCP's military and gray area intrusions into Taiwan and the First Island Chain have not eased but have continued to escalate. According to foreign media reports, the CCP is conducting drills to seize Taiwan's capital, and the scale and targeting of these drills are "unprecedented." The CCP is conducting highly specific and planned atta…
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