Taiwan’s annual combat drills this year will be as close to real warfare as possible, a senior official said, no longer aimed at simply performing to score points but simulating real combat in the face of an increasingly “enemy threat” from China.
China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, has been carrying out regular exercises around the island for four years to pressure Taipei to accept Beijing’s sovereignty claim, despite Taiwan’s strong objections.
Taiwan begins its five-day Han Kuang exercise on July 22.
A senior Taiwanese defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was an urgent need to reconsider how the exercises were conducted.
“The enemy threat has changed rapidly in recent years,” the official said. “Our defense war plan must also be revised on a continuous basis, and the need for comprehensive combat training is becoming more and more important.”
The official said drills that were largely for show, such as rehearsal exercises, have been cancelled, while this year night drills will take place and, unusually, will include the capital, Taipei.
“This is not a matter of scoring points. We want soldiers to think about whether this is true,” the officer said.
Some things can go wrong, such as a vehicle malfunctioning, and that’s OK, the official said. “These are problems that can be encountered in real combat.”
The officer said the exercise will be a continuous experience. “War does not differentiate between night and day.”
China’s Defense Ministry did not respond to calls seeking comment about the drills outside office hours over the weekend. It previously said it was futile for Taiwan to think it could use weapons to prevent “reunification.”
Announcing the drills in April, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said the war games would practice “kill” zones at sea to break a blockade and simulate a situation where China suddenly turns one of its regular exercises around the island into an attack.
“Only through real-time ground verification can we truly understand the capabilities and limitations of our troops,” the officer said.
China carried out two days of combat drills around the island shortly after President Lai Ching-te took office last month, saying it was “punishment” for his inaugural speech, which Beijing condemned as full of separatist themes.
But China is also using grey zone warfare against Taiwan, which uses irregular tactics to tire out the enemy by keeping them on constant alert without resorting to open warfare. This includes sending balloons over the island and sending air force missions almost daily in the skies near Taiwan.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai, who says only the people of Taiwan can decide their future, has repeatedly offered negotiations but has been rebuffed.
The official declined to comment on what part of the maneuvers Lai would participate in, as is customary for the president as commander-in-chief, or whether there would be American observers.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
