Latest news with #military drills
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
PLA offers back-to-back drill updates as Taiwan's Han Kuang exercise ramps up
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has stepped up messaging about its round-the-clock military drills conducted in an apparent response to Taiwan 's annual Han Kuang exercise For four consecutive days this week, the PLA's Eastern Theatre Command – the division responsible for overseeing the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea – has given daily updates on cross-service military drills that appear to correspond to the exercises in Taiwan. Taiwan's 10-day Han Kuang exercise, which began on July 9 and wraps up on Friday, is the largest and longest in its 41-year history. A PLA KJ-500 early-warning aircraft crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait on Monday, according to the island's defence ministry. Photo: The details of the PLA drills were released in a way that suggests they involved coordination of various forces in the command and operations during both daytime and night activities. The exact dates of these exercises were not specified, with the PLA claiming only that they had taken place 'in recent days', but the timing of the releases matched the drills in Taiwan. The activities monitored by Taipei suggested ramped-up pressure from the PLA at around the same time. On Monday, the Eastern Theatre Command said its naval aviation wing had conducted nighttime flight training to 'further hammer the pilots' technical and tactical levels', according to a social media post. Warplane pilots reportedly used stars for navigation and simulated dogfights in complex manoeuvres.
The Australian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Australian
Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat
Taiwan kicked off its largest military drills Wednesday with regular troops joined by a record mobilisation of reservists for 10 days of training aimed at defending against a Chinese invasion. The annual "Han Kuang" exercises, which are being held at the same time as civilian defence drills, will run from July 9-18 and feature newly delivered US high-tech rocket systems. The self-ruled island democracy faces the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it. Chinese military pressure has intensified in recent years, with Beijing deploying fighter jets and warships around the island on a near-daily basis. In the lead-up to the drills Wednesday, Taiwan detected 31 sorties by Chinese military aircraft and seven warships around the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday), according to the defence ministry. Taiwan has boosted defence spending and acquired smaller and more nimble weaponry, including drones, to enable its military to wage asymmetric warfare against its more powerful foe. Twenty-two thousand reservists -- the largest ever call-up -- are participating in this year's drills, having begun a training programme Saturday. Reservist training includes familiarisation with rifles, squad and platoon machine guns, and tactical manoeuvres. "Because these reservists have been discharged and away for a long time, upon return they need to undergo specialty refresher training," said an army officer who asked not to be named. On Wednesday, reservists wearing camouflage uniforms, helmets and boots were put through their paces, practising cleaning, assembling and aiming 65K2 rifles and machine guns. Taipei is eager to show the world, especially its key security backer Washington, that it is serious about boosting its military capability. The drills will "let the international community know that we are determined to defend ourselves, and to pass on to China that the nation's military has the confidence and ability to defend a free and democratic life", Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo said recently. This year's drills have been extended to 10 days and nine nights, from five days and four nights last year. - 'Grey zone' scenario - The Han Kuang began in 1984 when the island was still under martial law. Troops will simulate various scenarios including "grey zone harassment" -- tactics that fall short of an act of war -- as well as "long-range precision strikes" to combat a Chinese invasion in 2027, defence officials have said. Officials in the United States -- Taipei's biggest arms supplier -- have previously cited 2027 as a possible timeline for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Recently delivered High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States will be used during the drills. There will also be a separate live fire event involving US-made advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks. Taiwanese defence officials have been closely monitoring the war in Ukraine and their use of a decentralised command and control structure. "When we think practically about combat, we consider what kind of scenario Taiwan might face," a senior defence official said on the eve of the drills. "Commanders at all levels need to be able to decide what to do based on their understanding of their superior's intent. This usually requires peacetime training to build up their awareness in this regard." The exercises are being held as President Lai Ching-te, who is a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty, tours the island delivering speeches aimed at "uniting the country". China has carried out several large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office last year, as the island rejects China's sovereignty stance. China specialists at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said Beijing was "likely" to carry out more military exercises at the end of July. joy/amj/mtp
Malay Mail
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Australia expects Chinese spying during major war games, renews warning over Pacific military base
SYDNEY, July 13 — Australia's government said today it expects China to spy on major military drills it is conducting with the United States and other allies. It also renewed a charge — denounced by Beijing as a 'false narrative' — that China wants to establish a military base in the South Pacific. The comments by a government minister came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a six-day visit to China to bolster recently repaired trade ties. More than 30,000 military personnel from 19 nations are set to join in the annual Talisman Sabre exercise from Sunday across Australia and Papua New Guinea. 'The Chinese military have observed these exercises since 2017 and it would be very unusual if they didn't do that this time,' said Pat Conroy, Australia's minister for the defence industry and for Pacific Island affairs. 'We'll obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia,' he told Australian public broadcaster ABC. 'People observe these exercises to collect intelligence around procedures, around the electronic spectrum and the use of communications, and we'll adjust accordingly so that we manage that leakage.' The strategically important South Pacific region is at the centre of a diplomatic scramble for influence pitting China against its Western rivals. 'We're seeing in my portfolio of the Pacific, China seeking to secure a military base in the region,' said Conroy, who has previously made the same assessment. 'We're working very hard to be the primary security partner of choice for the region, because we don't think that's a particularly optimal thing for Australia.' China inked a secretive security pact with Pacific nation Solomon Islands in 2022. Although the details have never been published, the United States and close ally Australia fear it may be the prelude to some kind of permanent Chinese base. Australia wants 'a balanced region where no one is dominated and no one dominates', Conroy said. China's embassy in Fiji this month insisted claims that it wanted to set up a military base in the region were 'false narratives' driven by 'ulterior motives'. Beijing has spent hundreds of millions of dollars building sports stadiums, presidential palaces, hospitals and roads in Pacific island nations. Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Nauru have in recent years severed longstanding diplomatic links with Taiwan in favour of China. — AFP
Russia Today
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
US-led drills pose threat to peace in Asia
The military activities of the US and its allies around the Korean Peninsula threaten the stability of the entire region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during his visit to North Korea. The US, South Korea, and Japan are increasing the number of joint military drills, some of which involve 'a nuclear component,' Lavrov told reporters at a press conference in Wonsan on Saturday. 'This does not contribute to peace and stability, not only on the Korean Peninsula but throughout Northeast Asia,' the diplomat said, expressing skepticism about Seoul's intentions to normalize relations with Pyongyang. Lavrov condemned what he described as 'dangerous attempts by actors outside the Indo-Pacific to form exclusive alliances and expand NATO infrastructure in the region.' He emphasized that countries should not build alliances at the expense of others, adding that both Russia and North Korea are committed to 'equal and indivisible security' for all nations in Eurasia. The US, South Korea, and Japan conducted joint exercises this week involving the deployment of America's nuclear-capable B-52H strategic bombers. In a joint statement, the allies accused Pyongyang of 'unlawful activities' that 'destabilize the Korean Peninsula.' Russia and North Korea signed a defense pact in June 2024, after which Pyongyang dispatched troops to help expel Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region later that year. The cooperation is a testament to the 'invincible brotherhood' between the two countries, Lavrov said.
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Watch as huge fleet of terrifying new Chinese ‘tank boats' takes to water – as Taiwan launches biggest EVER war drills
DRAMATIC footage captures a fleet of Chinese tank boats charging through the sea in tight formation during military drills near Taiwan. The show of force by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) comes as Taiwan kicks off its largest-ever military exercises. 4 4 Footage released by China's state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday shows amphibious armoured units conducting live-fire exercises as tensions in the Taiwan Strait escalate. The drills were carried out by the PLA's 72nd Group Army just off the southern coast of Fujian province - directly across from Taiwan - in what analysts see as a deliberately provocative move. A video released on Thursday shows reconnaissance troops from the 73rd Group Army practising armed swimming, underwater combat and long-range coastal infiltration drills. Military experts say the drills are "counter-display" as Taiwan launched its own large-scale military exercises on Wednesday. Taiwan's drills focused on decentralising command systems, defence officials told Reuters. In one exercise, around 300 reservists were stationed at an empty high school in Taoyuan, where they trained in mortar and rifle operations. China and Taiwan's displays of military might reflect an escalation in tensions between Beijing and Taipei. China views the democratically governed island as part of its territory. For this reason, it has ramped up military pressure around the island over the last five years, including regular naval and air patrols near Taiwan. Meanwhile, China's new giant "sea monster" warplane was spotted for the first time in the Bohai Sea on Monday. China floods sea bases with nuke bombers, terrifying satellite pics show - as US warns Xi could SEIZE Taiwanese islands The wing-in-ground effect (WIG) aircraft, commonly known as an ekranoplan, calls to mind Soviet military tech from the Cold War era. The vehicle seems to have a boat-shaped fuselage and a joined V-shape tail – a common configuration for WIG craft. It could be used to facilitate rapid coastal transport and resupply missions or amphibious operations, according to aviation and maritime experts. And experts fear it could be used in any potential military operations against Taiwan in the future. It comes just months after satellite pictures showed China's new invasion barges lining up to form a floating bridge. The satellite images show three specialised barges, each with two arms of roadway, lining up next to each other. They connect to form a continuous bridge along which invading ground vehicles such as tanks could trundle ashore. Huge retractable legs anchor the barges to the seabed like stilts. Why is Taiwan under threat of Chinese invasion? TAIWAN is under threat of a Chinese invasion as a result of its political and historical ties to China and its strategic importance After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the defeated Nationalist government (Kuomintang) fled to Taiwan while the Communists took control of mainland China Since then, Taiwan has evolved into a self-governed democracy But the People's Republic of China (PRC) sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland Taiwan has never formally declared independence, partly to avoid provoking a military response from China Chinese President Xi Jinping has tied 'national rejuvenation' to reunifying Taiwan with the mainland Most countries, including the US, do not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent nation, but they do support Taiwan militarily and economically China views foreign support of Taiwan, especially arms sales and diplomatic visits, as provocations Taiwan is strategically important as it sits in a vital geopolitical position in the Asia-Pacific This makes its location a gateway to the South China Sea 4
