Taiwan begins 10-day military drills to counter Chinese threats

Taiwan launched its longest-ever Han Guang military drills to prepare for potential Chinese invasions and "gray zone" tactics. The 10-day live-fire exercises feature new weapons and reservists amid rising PLA harassment. China condemned the drills as pro-independence provocation

Taipei: Taiwan on Wednesday launched annual military exercises intended to guard against Chinese threats to invade, including using so-called “gray zone tactics” deployed by China that stop just short of open warfare.

This year’s 10-day live-fire Han Guang drills are the longest yet and follow the delivery of a range of new weaponry from tanks to unmanned waterborne drones. The drills in Taiwan come as regional tensions and harassment by China and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are increasing.

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China claims Taiwan as its territory to be annexed by force if necessary, while the vast majority of Taiwanese wish to become fully independent or retain their current status of de-facto independence.

The drills began with exercises to counter the actions of Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia ships that have been harassing Taiwanese ships around offshore island groups close to the Chinese coast, the Defence Ministry said.

Concerns are that China could launch an invasion under the guise of petty harassment, and the drills will include fortifying ports and possible Chinese landing points on an island lying 160 kilometers off the Chinese coast.

The drills will later focus on simulated anti-landing exercises, with regular forces from all the services backed up by 22,000 reservists, the ministry said.

Exercises will continue around the clock for 10 days under realistic conditions taking into account all possibilities, the ministry said, in a possible attempt to counter criticisms that past exercises have veered on the performative.

The ministry called on the public to show patience with any disruptions to flights or traffic and not to believe false information distributed about the exercises.

China responded to the exercises’ announcement in typically acerbic fashion.

“The Han Guang exercise is nothing but a bluffing and self-deceiving trick by the DPP authorities, attempting to bind the Taiwanese people to the Taiwan independence cart and harm Taiwan for the selfish interests of one party,” Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Col. Jiang Bing said at a news conference on Tuesday. The DPP stands for Taiwan’s independence-leading ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

“No matter how they perform or what weapons they use, they cannot resist the PLA’s anti-independence sword and the historical trend of the motherland’s inevitable reunification,” Jiang said.

China appears also to have taken actions to disrupt preparations for the drills, with the Taiwanese Defence Ministry saying PLA planes and ships on Tuesday “conducted harassment operations around Taiwan’s air and sea domains under the pretext of a so-called joint combat readiness patrol.’”

Taiwan’s armed forces “employed joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance measures to closely monitor the situation and dispatched mission aircraft, vessels, and shore-based missile systems to appropriately respond,” the Taiwanese Defence Ministry said.