Taiwan begins annual military drills to counter Chinese threat

Taiwan began its annual military drills on Wednesday, including the largest ever number of reservists.

The 10-day exercise is aimed at training for defense against a possible Chinese invasion and will feature the latest missile launchers the island received from the United States this year.

These drills, dubbed “Han Kuang,” will continue until July 18.

China claims that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory and doesn’t rule out an armed invasion of the island to annex it if necessary.

Before the start of these drills, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced that it had detected 31 warplanes and 7 Chinese military vessels around the island during the 24 hours.

In addition to Taiwanese forces, 22,000 reserve soldiers will participate in the drills, the largest number ever called up for these drills, which have been held annually since 1984, when martial law was imposed in Taiwan.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Ko explained that these exercises “will demonstrate to the international community that we are determined to defend ourselves and will demonstrate to China that our country’s military has the capability to defend a free and democratic life”.

The drills will utilize HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems recently received from the United States, and live-fire drills involving US-made M1A2 Abrams tanks will also be held in a separate event.

The forces will simulate various scenarios, some of which include so-called “gray zone” harassment, an international concept defined as “the contested arena between routine governance and open warfare,” as well as “long-range precision strikes” to repel a potential Chinese invasion in 2027, according to Taiwanese defense officials.

In 2023, then-CIA Director William Burns estimated that Chinese President Xi Jinping was considering an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.

The drills are taking place as President Lai Ching-te, a champion of Taiwanese democracy whom Beijing has labeled a dangerous separatist, tours the island and delivers speeches aimed at uniting the country.

To increase pressure, Beijing regularly sends military aircraft and warships to the vicinity of Taiwan.

Taiwan responds by increasing its defense spending and purchasing smaller, more flexible weapons such as drones.

The island wants to demonstrate its seriousness about strengthening its military capabilities, particularly to the United States, which is the island’s largest ally and arms supplier, despite not having formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.

According to China experts at the Eurasia Group, a risk assessment consultancy, Beijing may conduct military exercises at the end of this month.

In a recent note, they explained that military drills involving live ammunition or a week-long exercise would likely be the most escalatory response from China, even if it would depend on the content of Lai’s remaining speeches.