Taiwan isn't saying much about its war plans for a China fight — but its military drills are
Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises have shifted focus toward urban defense and inland combat scenarios. While officials remain tight-lipped, the nature of the drills suggests a strategic pivot toward preparing for a potential invasion by China.
Why it matters
The exercises provide insight into Taiwan's evolving defense strategy and its assessment of the threat posed by mainland China.
A Taiwanese soldier stands guard on the street after a drill at the Songshan Airport. Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images Taiwan held 10 days of military drills as part of its annual Han Kuang exercise. Officials revealed little about the tactics or lessons in the sprawling, unscripted practice events. But the sequence of the drills offered clues as to how Taiwan expects a war with China to unfold. TAIPEI — Gunshots rang out at midnight as Taiwanese infantry, hidden on rooftops and in alleyways, opened fire with blanks along the streets of northern Taipei. They weren't fighting for the beaches; instead, they were defending a six-lane road, split down the middle by elevated metro tracks, leading to Songshan Airport, the capital's closest airfield. By the sixth night of Taiwan's annual Han Kuang exercise , the simulated fighting had moved inland, including into the heart of Taipei.
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