TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) 鈥� Through this year鈥檚 military drills, Taiwan has chosen to emphasize its army’s and society鈥檚 flexibility and resilience as opposed to primarily putting advanced weapons on display. Experts say the exercises鈥� structure indicate closer ties with the U.S. military in the face of .
The kicked off on Wednesday and are set to extend through Aug. 14 in various locations around the island. The live-fire exercises will test the Taiwanese army鈥檚 ability to sustain 24-hour defense operations as well as counter China鈥檚 which stop just short of open warfare.
China claims the self-ruled democracy as its own territory, and has not renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan dismisses China鈥檚 claims and insists it is a sovereign state.
The United States, while not recognizing Taiwan as a country, sees all threats to the island as a matter of great concern. Washington is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
The drills show closer ties with the U.S. military
While there has long been speculation that the U.S. military has been quietly training Taiwanese troops, the collaboration between the two sides has been more visible in recent weeks. A key component of the Han Kuang drills, for example, is the practice of a U.S.-inspired military communications method called backbriefing, where subordinates explain to commanders how they plan to carry out assigned missions.
The communication drills are intended to encourage first-line fighters to be more self-reliant and effective in battle, experts say.
鈥淭he most important new development in this year鈥檚 Han Kuang is the incorporation of American-style military training methods, which are aimed at enhancing the coordination and combat readiness of the Taiwanese military,鈥� said William Yang, a senior Northeast Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group.
The drills thus 鈥渟tay away from the mostly performative tasks of firepower display鈥� of past years and instead focus on building real combat capabilities, Yang added.
Emphasis on reservists and urban resilience
Another focus of this year鈥檚 drills is that they will mobilize one of the largest numbers yet of reservists, of around 20,000 personnel, according to local media. Taiwan鈥檚 Defense Ministry did not say how many reservists will be involved in the drills.
The emphasis on reserves illustrates Taiwan鈥檚 efforts to address the military power asymmetry between itself and China, Yang said. China maintains the world鈥檚 largest army, of more than 2 million active-duty personnel, almost nine times the size of Taiwan鈥檚 active-duty armed forces.
Another focus of the military drills, reflecting Taiwan鈥檚 , are urban resilience drills. These will take place on different days in the major cities of Kaohsiung, Taichung and the capital, Taipei. During the drills, mobile internet speed will be reduced for about 30 minutes to simulate telecommunications interference in case of an attack.
The emphasis on combat readiness and civilian preparedness reflect Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te鈥檚 priorities amid political constraints, said Lev Nachman, a political science professor at National Taiwan University. Lai has sought to pass a for U.S. arms purchases and local defense manufacturing. A much smaller version of the budget, of $24.8 billion, was eventually approved by the opposition-controlled parliament.
鈥淕iven that Lai has been constrained on his ability to pass a budget that could even supply the kinds of weapons he would want to test, he has had to look to what he is able to do given the domestic political gridlock,鈥� Nachman said.
U.S. arms sales to Taiwan remain in question
Despite closer informal ties between the U.S. and Taiwan militaries, questions remain around a to Taiwan that U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to approve. After , Trump described arms sales to Taiwan as a with Beijing, raising anxieties on the island about continued U.S. support.
Trump also said after his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that he does not want to 鈥渢ravel 9,500 miles (15,300 kilometers) to fight a war鈥� over Taiwan.
In that context, seeing the U.S. influence on Taiwan鈥檚 military drills offers a 鈥渟ilver lining鈥� in terms of Washington’s commitment to Taiwan, Nachman said.
鈥淓ven though Trump and those close to him have flip-flopped on supporting Taiwan, the connection between the two militaries remains strong, enough to at least ensure that Taiwan is still able to learn at a high level from the U.S.,鈥� he said.
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