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,

Taiwan launched its largest ever military drills on Wednesday, starting with simulated attacks on its command systems and infrastructure ahead of a Chinese invasion, senior defence officials said.

Much like Ukraine’s unexpectedly resilient defence, Taipei wants Beijing to understand that a military conflict would not be as easy, or predictable, as once thought.

China claims Taiwan as its own despite Taipei's objections. The United States does not recognize Taiwan's statehood but has political and economic stakes in a peaceful resolution to the decades-long dispute, and is obliged by U.S. law to help Taipei arm itself against a possible attack.

In Hsinchu County, President William Lai (賴清德) monitored a live-fire exercise at the Kengzikou Range (坑子口訓練場) involving a platoon of M1A2T tanks purchased from the US. The tanks fired individually, in pairs and as a full platoon. Following the drill, the army said that the tanks had achieved “perfect” accuracy.

The annual 10-day Han Kuang exercise will test Taiwan’s ability to respond to a Chinese attack on its command structure.

China has imposed export controls on eight companies tied to Taiwan’s military as the self-ruled island began annual military exercises.

The United States launched a large-scale Air Force exercise focused on the Pacific theater this week as the Pentagon prepared for a potential conflict with China over the vast region. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment via email.