{
  "id": 157903,
  "title": "Taiwan begins military drills as China pressure grows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/taiwan-begins-military-drills-as-china-pressure-grows",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-05T02:59:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/05/taiwan-begins-military-drills-as-china-pressure-grows"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Taiwan commenced its largest annual military drills on Wednesday as the island strives to equip its populace for a potential Chinese invasion. The \"Han Kuang\" exercise, scheduled from August 5-14, simulates combat scenarios for troops and reservists to refine their response to an attack. Civilians will also undergo drills, including a temporary reduction in mobile internet speeds and air raid simulations, as part of the government's efforts to prepare the entire population for war or a natural disaster.\n\nChina asserts Taiwan is its territory and has threatened to employ force to annex the island, home to 23 million people. Beijing has escalated military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, regularly deploying fighter jets and warships around the island and conducting large-scale military exercises. The Chinese coast guard has also intensified its \"grey zone\" activities, actions that do not constitute war but are conducted near Taiwan and its peripheral islands.\n\nOn Wednesday, hundreds of reservists dispersed along a beach in the Taiwan Strait, firing Taiwanese-made assault rifles at targets on a shore where Chinese forces could potentially land during an invasion. President Lai Ching-te, speaking at a security forum on the eve of the exercises, stated, \"As the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party's) authoritarianism continues to expand, red terror is also spreading into every corner of the world.\" He vowed to enhance national defense and build a comprehensive society defense and resilience.\n\nTaiwan has increased defense spending and acquired more agile weaponry, such as drones, to enable its military to engage in asymmetric warfare against China. Under immense pressure from the US to provide more defense support, Lai's government has pledged to raise defense spending to five percent of GDP by 2030. However, the government has clashed with the opposition parties, which hold the majority in parliament, over the amount to invest in bolstering Taiwan's defense capabilities. In May, the KMT and the Taiwan People's Party passed a $25 billion special defense budget, cutting by a third the amount requested by Lai's Democratic Progressive Party. The opposition removed approximately $15 billion that the government intended to allocate for domestic drone procurement and other measures to strengthen defenses.\n\nA crucial aspect of this year's Han Kuang exercise is decentralizing command and control, enabling battlefield commanders and officers to make operational decisions without awaiting orders. Urban resilience drills will be conducted concurrently as part of the government's endeavors to ready the island for a potential war or natural disaster. For 30 minutes, mobile internet speeds will be reduced during air raid drills in central and northern areas to expose ordinary citizens to communication disruptions.",
  "summary": "The annual Han Kuang exercise, running from Aug 5 to 14, simulates combat scenarios for troops and reservists to prepare for a potential attack on the island.",
  "key_points": [
    "Taiwan begins \"Han Kuang\" military drills on August 5-14",
    "Civilians participate in drills, including internet speed reduction",
    "China threatens force to annex Taiwan, escalating military pressure"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Why China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/why-chinas-military-is-laser-focused-on-disruptive-technologies",
        "published": "2026-08-04T22:00:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}