TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Regular live-fire drills in Penghu County in the middle of the Taiwan Strait will now take place once every month, while similar exercises on the islands of Kinmen and Matsu close to China will be organized every two months, reports said Friday (Sept. 23).

The decision came in the wake of massive Chinese military maneuvers following the visit of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan Aug. 2-3. After this time, there were continued incursions of Chinese warplanes in the country’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and across the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

The purpose of the more frequent drills on the islands is to familiarize soldiers with the use of weaponry and rapid deployment tactics. The military has also stepped up the production of ammunition and expanded its stocks, the Liberty Times reported.

The most recent round of live-fire drills in Penghu took place on Thursday (Sept. 22), and involved M60A3 tanks firing from a beach. Because the tanks are old, the Ministry of National Defense has drawn up a budget of NT$7.24 billion ($228.71 million) to replace their engines by the end of 2028 in order to make them suitable to participate in modern warfare.

The drills would teach soldiers where problems could emerge and how to solve them, officers said.