Taiwan launched its largest-ever Han Kuang military exercises on Wednesday, initiating 10 days of live-fire drills simulating a Chinese assault on its command systems and communications infrastructure. The exercises began just hours after a Chinese military spokesperson reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to "inevitable reunification," escalating tensions between the two governments.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said the operation would involve 22,000 reservists-more than ever before-as well as coordinated action between the army, navy, and air force. The early stages of the drills are focused on repelling simulated "grey zone" tactics, such as cyberattacks and communications sabotage, which Taiwanese defense officials believe would likely precede an outright invasion.
"We are learning from the situation in Ukraine in recent years and realistically thinking about what Taiwan might face ... in real combat," a senior defense official told Reuters, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the operations.
The war games kicked off with simulations responding to harassment by Chinese vessels near Taiwan's outlying island groups. Later phases will feature anti-landing maneuvers aimed at defending ports and beaches roughly 100 miles from the Chinese mainland, the Associated Press reported. The exercises also include deployment of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) supplied by the U.S., and Taiwan-developed Sky Sword surface-to-air missiles, marking the first use of these systems in Han Kuang drills.
Roughly 300 reservists were seen training with weapons inside a junior high school in Taoyuan, repurposed for military instruction during the summer break, Reuters reported.
Taiwanese authorities said China attempted to interfere with the exercise on Tuesday by conducting "harassment operations" near Taiwan's air and sea domains. The Defense Ministry reported 31 Chinese aircraft sorties and seven naval ships in the area by 6 a.m., with 24 of the aircraft crossing the median line that unofficially separates the two sides.
China's Ministry of National Defense condemned the drills. "The Han Kuang exercise is nothing but a bluffing and self-deceiving trick by the DPP authorities," spokesperson Colonel Jiang Bing said, referring to Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party. "No matter how they perform or what weapons they use, they cannot resist the [People's Liberation Army's] anti-independence sword and the historical trend of the motherland's inevitable reunification."
China's Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday added eight Taiwanese firms to its export control list, including Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), effectively banning exports of dual-use goods, according to state-run Xinhua.
Beijing has increased military and economic pressure on Taiwan over the past five years, holding frequent air and naval patrols and warning that it will not renounce the use of force. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te and his administration continue to assert that Taiwan's future should be determined solely by its people.
A senior Taiwanese defense official said the scale and structure of this year's Han Kuang exercises are intended to demonstrate to international observers Taiwan's determination and growing capacity to defend itself.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated Beijing's opposition to U.S.-Taiwan military cooperation, stating: "Our opposition to U.S.-Taiwan military ties is consistent and very firm." She added, "Taiwan's attempt to seek independence through force or relying on foreign [actors] will never succeed."
