Taiwan's Han Kuang drills test defenses amid rising China threats

Military drills named Han Kuang have started in Taiwan. The exercises aim to check the effectiveness of critical infrastructure defense and communication systems in the event of a blockade attempt from China.

The 40th edition of the Han Kuang drills, continuing until Friday, will focus this year on testing the ability to make independent decisions and adhere to combat rules after losing contact with central command. For the first time, there will be live ammunition night firing exercises conducted on three islands.

According to Defense Minister Wellington Koo, this year’s exercises have dropped parts that were "organized solely for show purposes," such as artillery attacks and pre-planned amphibious landings that attracted large spectators. Critics argued that such exercises had limited practical impact on defense readiness.

This year, all operations aim to closely emulate the real battlefield, demonstrating how to repel a Chinese attack. The takeoffs and landings of military aircraft on highways have been canceled.

The drills are taking place as China intensifies military pressure on Taiwan, which the People's Republic of China views as part of its territory. According to a report from Taiwan's defense ministry on Chinese military activities around the island, the country’s air force carried out its first circumnavigation of the island this year in the past 24 hours.

The communist authorities in China do not rule out the use of force to gain control over Taiwan.

In May, China’s military conducted maneuvers of unprecedented size and intensity, as a "punishment" for President Lai Ching-te, who had been sworn in a few days earlier and is considered a "separatist" by Beijing.

On Monday in central Taiwan, air defense exercises named Wanan were also conducted. For half an hour, alarms sounded, special notifications were sent out, and civilians were directed to shelters. The same scenario will be repeated until Thursday in the northern, eastern, and surrounding islands regions of the island, with the final day in the south.

Wanan air defense exercises have been held since 1978 to increase public awareness of emergency response measures and reduce the likelihood of casualties and damage in the event of an enemy attack.