Taiwan Military Drills 2026 – Rising Tensions in the Region

Key Takeaways

• Taiwan Military Drills reached a new level by conducting Han Kuang 42, the island’s biggest annual exercise, involving unannounced live-fire drills for the first time over a 10-day period.
• More than 20,000 reserve soldiers were mobilised to test the military’s ability to continue functioning after its command centers, communication hubs, ports, and other infrastructure have been taken out by an enemy attack.
• China has created life-sized copies of the presidential office and several military installations as part of the preparations, which suggest Beijing is continuing to simulate an invasion of Taiwan.
• Japan’s new Defence White Paper warned that China has increased its military operations near Taiwan, with aircraft crossings of the Taiwan Strait reaching nearly 3,700 in 2023.
• President Lai Ching-te’s proposed five-year plan, which would see the defence budget increased by 40 billion, faces continued opposition in the legislature, where his party does not hold the majority.

Taiwan Ramps Up Military Drills Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Scale and Scope of the Drills

Taiwan Military Drills entered a new phase as Han Kuang 42 got underway on August 5, with live-fire military exercises through all military branches and over 20,000 reservists taking part. In addition, unlike previous years, the military did not brief officers on scenarios, forcing them to make decisions as they went, in order to test their response to surprise attacks. President Lai Ching-te travelled to the capital in an armoured vehicle as the civilian part of the drills began. Air raid drills and a planned temporary shutdown of social media to test Taiwan’s response to Chinese cyberattacks were also held.

China’s Continued Pressure Campaign

Beijing regards Taiwan as its possession and has made numerous warnings of using force to reclaim the territory, which has led the Taiwanese military to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Recently published satellite images revealed that China’s People’s Liberation Army has constructed life-sized replicas of Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building and other strategic locations months prior, which were used for Taiwan military drills simulating an invasion. Taiwan’s foreign ministry stated that Beijing was conducting drills for an invasion, calling them “provocative,” while the US intelligence community assesses that China aims to occupy Taiwan by 2027, a timeline President Lai Ching-te acknowledges.

Japan and Regional Allies Take Notice

Taiwan’s largest annual exercise received an extensive coverage in Japan’s 2026 Defence White Paper released this week, with Tokyo raising concerns that China is normalising increased military pressure on Taiwan. According to the document, the number of Chinese military aircraft flights into Taiwan’s airspace grew sharply in recent years. For example, the number of sorties increased from about 970 in 2021 to more than 3,700 in 2025. In addition, according to the report, China has significantly stepped up its naval activity near Taiwan. Earlier this year, Washington urged Beijing to refrain from holding exercises near Taiwan following similar activities by the Chinese military, which Washington viewed as unreasonable provocations.

Defence Budget Standoff at Home

Despite all the rhetoric coming from Beijing and despite the Taiwan military drills, the preparations on Taiwan are inadequate, as the events around the stalled 2025 defence budget prove. Lai proposed boosting the defence spending by 40 billion NT dollars ($1.2 billion), which the opposition-controlled legislature blocked. “2025 will be a crucial year for Taiwan,” Lai said. “And we must prepare for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best.” Taiwan’s military has been calling on the government to approve the money to boost the defence capability, but the 2024 budget deficit is estimated to be 49 billion Taiwanese dollars.

Regional Security Snapshot

• Japan has identified the security situation across the Taiwan Strait as a strategic priority in the latest white paper, with officials noting an increase in Chinese military activity near the island.
• The U.S. has called on China to exercise restraint after a significant display of force by China’s military near Taiwan following a series of military exercises by Taiwan’s military. In early December 2025, China held exercises simulating a blockade of the island, which extended beyond the distance of China’s recent military activities near Taiwan.
• In recent months, China has been testing the limits of the status quo by stepping up its pressure on Taiwan’s contiguous zone.

What to Watch Next

• Taiwan Military Drills observers are waiting to see how the remaining days of Han Kuang 42 military exercise unfold in Taiwan and what other unscripted drills will look like on August 14.
• Whether China will respond to Taiwan’s large-scale exercise by holding its own counter-exercises, as it did in response to previous similar drills and incidents involving Taiwan.
• Whether Taiwan’s legislature will approve the president’s request for additional funding for national defense.
• Whether Japan, the US, or other allies express concerns about the increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait in response to Taiwan’s military exercises.
• Whether Taiwan’s technology industry, particularly its semiconductors, will suffer from any disruptions due to these drills.

Conclusion

Taiwan Military Drills are not the only indicator of potential security problems in the region. Unscripted war games and military exercises in Taipei, a Japanese white paper warning of record-setting Chinese military activity around Taiwan, and Beijing’s own satellite images of its military practising invasion scenarios suggest that things could go wrong at any moment. In fact, there are signs that multiple potential flash-points are already heating up. For more interesting news, stay tuned with us on Nexus of Nation!

FAQs

What is the Han Kuang exercise?

Han Kuang is the name of Taiwan’s annual large-scale military exercise, which traditionally involves more than 20,000 reservists. The 2026 drills, officially called Han Kuang 42, began on August 5 and are scheduled to end on August 14.

Why is Taiwan increasing military drills now?

According to Taiwan’s defence officials, the island’s national security is under great pressure due to increased Chinese military activity around Taiwan, including the growing number of PRC aircraft and naval presence. In addition, the Chinese leadership has repeatedly stated its intention to establish control over Taiwan, which is seen as impossible without military action. One of the reasons for this is the assessment of experts that China will be able to invade Taiwan by 2027.

Has China responded militarily to the drills?

China has so far responded to Han Kuang 42 with additional military exercises near Taiwan. Moreover, China’s defence ministry has announced that Beijing is preparing to conduct large-scale combat drills around the island, which will include testing the capabilities to capture Taiwan’s military infrastructure. In addition, satellite imagery has appeared on the Internet, showing China’s military building replicas of Taiwan’s military buildings, which indicates that Beijing is preparing to practice capturing the island.

What is the US position on Taiwan?

The position of the US administration is to urge China to show restraint and refrain from military actions that could inflame tensions in the region. Moreover, Washington promotes dialogue between Washington and Taipei on issues of military nature.

Is a Chinese invasion of Taiwan imminent?

As of now, no official statements indicate that China is preparing for an imminent invasion of Taiwan. The theory of “the 2027 window” reflects the opinion of experts that this year, China has the greatest opportunity to capture Taiwan, which does not mean that the PRC will actually do so.