Taiwan's Han Kuang drills shift to combat readiness amid China pressure

Taipei,UPDATED: Aug 7, 2026 06:40 IST

Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military drills have begun with a sharper focus on combat readiness, reservist mobilisation and civilian resilience, rather than on putting advanced weapons on display. Experts say the structure of this year’s exercises points to closer military ties with the United States as Taiwan faces continued pressure from China.

The drills, which started on Wednesday and will run till August 14 at locations across the island, are designed to test the army’s ability to maintain round-the-clock defence operations and respond to China’s “gray-zone tactics”, which fall short of open warfare. China claims the self-ruled democracy as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force, while Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claim and says it is a sovereign state.

The United States does not recognise Taiwan as a country, but sees threats to the island as a matter of serious concern. Washington is also required under its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

One of the main features of the Han Kuang drills this year is the use of a US-style military communications method known as backbriefing, in which subordinates explain to commanders how they plan to carry out assigned missions. Experts said these communication exercises are meant to make frontline troops more self-reliant and more effective in battle.

“The most important new development in this year’s Han Kuang is the incorporation of American-style military training methods, which are aimed at enhancing the coordination and combat readiness of the Taiwanese military,” said William Yang, a senior Northeast Asia analyst at the Crisis Group.

The drills thus “stay away from the mostly performative tasks of firepower display” of past years and instead focus on building real combat capabilities, Yang added.

Another major focus this year is the mobilisation of reservists. Local media reported that around 20,000 reservists, one of the largest numbers yet, will be called up for the drills, though Taiwan’s Defence Ministry did not confirm the figure. Yang said the emphasis on reserves reflects Taiwan’s effort to deal with the gap in military strength with China, which has more than 2 million active-duty personnel, almost nine times the size of Taiwan’s active-duty forces.

The exercises will also include urban resilience drills, reflecting Taiwan’s long-standing focus on civil defence. These will be held on different days in the major cities of Kaohsiung, Taichung and Taipei. During the drills, mobile internet speeds will be reduced for about 30 minutes to simulate telecommunications disruption in the event of an attack.

Lev Nachman, a political science professor at Taiwan University, said the focus on combat readiness and civilian preparedness reflects President Lai Ching-te’s priorities amid political constraints. Lai had sought a USD 40 billion special defence budget for US arms purchases and local defence manufacturing, but the opposition-controlled parliament approved a smaller package of USD 24.8 billion.

“Given that Lai has been constrained on his ability to pass a budget that could even supply the kinds of weapons he would want to test, he has had to look to what he is able to do given the domestic political gridlock,” Nachman said.

At the same time, questions remain over a USD 14 billion US arms sales package for Taiwan that President Donald Trump has yet to approve. After visiting China in May, Trump described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with Beijing, causing concern in Taiwan about continued US support. He also said after his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that he does not want to “travel 9,500 miles (15,300 kilometers) to fight a war” over Taiwan.

Against that backdrop, Nachman said the visible US influence on Taiwan’s military drills offers a “silver lining” on Washington’s commitment to the island. “Even though Trump and those close to him have flip-flopped on supporting Taiwan, the connection between the two militaries remains strong, enough to at least ensure that Taiwan is still able to learn at a high level from the US,” he said. Overall, this year’s Han Kuang drills underline Taiwan’s effort to strengthen military coordination, reserve forces and civilian preparedness as uncertainty continues over the scale of future US arms support.

With PTI Inputs

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