Key facts
- Taiwan began a five-day military drill on Monday focused on combat readiness.
- The exercises simulate realistic war scenarios and rapid transitions from peacetime to wartime.
- Tanks and armored vehicles were seen patrolling streets in Taoyuan.
- China conducted a large patrol of 23 aircraft and seven navy ships near Taiwan.
- The drills aim to counter China's 'grey-zone warfare' tactics.
Taiwan commenced a five-day military exercise on Monday, designed to enhance its combat readiness against a potential Chinese attack. The drills, termed 'Immediate Combat Readiness Exercises,' involve realistic war simulations and focus on the rapid transition from peacetime to wartime operations. Tanks and armored vehicles were observed patrolling streets in Taoyuan, home to Taiwan's largest international airport, as part of the readiness patrols.
The exercises aim to test the rapid deployment of military units, particularly in response to China's 'grey-zone warfare' tactics, which include aggressive but non-combative actions like drone flights and naval patrols. Taiwan's Ministry of Defense emphasized the exercises' realistic nature, with an emphasis on live-fire and on-site responses, simulating scenarios before enemy naval launches.
These drills follow a significant Chinese military incursion on Sunday and Monday morning, during which Beijing sent 23 aircraft and seven navy ships towards the island. Nineteen of these aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern airspace and the Western Pacific for extended training. Taiwan regularly conducts such drills to bolster its defense capabilities amid persistent military pressure from China, which claims the self-governed island as its territory.