TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US State Department on Thursday criticized China for its increased military activities around Taiwan.
The live-fire portion of the Han Kuang 41 military exercises is scheduled for July 9–18, per CNA. In the lead-up to the exercises, the PLA has ramped up its drills. Between 6 a.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense detected 41 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval vessels operating around Taiwan.
A US State Department spokesperson told CNA on Thursday that, as President Donald Trump emphasized in February, Washington remains committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The US views the strait as an indispensable factor for the peace and prosperity of the international community.
The spokesperson said China’s military threats against Taiwan are irresponsible, unjustified, and escalatory. The State Department urged Beijing to refrain from further actions.
The spokesperson added that in the face of China’s military, economic, informational, and diplomatic pressure, the US will continue to support Taiwan.
This year marks the first time the Han Kuang exercises incorporate the “Urban Resilience Exercise,” aimed at strengthening civil-military coordination and defensive resilience. The drills also feature unscripted live-fire training based on a prolonged warfare scenario.
In addition, the MND and the Ministry of the Interior will conduct evacuation drills in large retail outlets and organize air raid drills in seven regions across Taiwan. Civil defense teams and staff at chains such as Carrefour and RT Mart will assist in guiding people to shelters during drills.
The exercises will progress through various stages, including peace-to-war transition, combat readiness deployment, joint anti-landing operations, coastal and beach battles, defense in depth, and prolonged warfare.
The MND explained that this year’s drills have been extended to 10 days. Previously, Han Kuang scenarios focused on emergency and homeland defense phases and were conducted with an accelerated combat-to-exercise tempo to simulate engagements quickly.
The new format begins even earlier in the conflict timeline, simulating gray zone provocations and allowing each phase to be played out in full.
