Taiwan President Lai Oversees Coastal Strike Drills in Han Kuang War Games

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te observed coastal strike drills on Saturday as the island continued its annual Han Kuang military exercises, designed to strengthen Taiwan’s defence readiness against a potential Chinese attack.

During the exercises in the southern city of Kaohsiung, Lai boarded a fast attack missile boat at a naval base and addressed sailors participating in the drills. He later watched small, low-flying attack drones operate over coastal waters and beaches as forces practised responding to an assault.

Taiwan launched this year’s Han Kuang exercises on Wednesday. The 10-day war games use personnel, terrain and military equipment to test command coordination, battlefield response and homeland defence capabilities under realistic conditions.

Lai said the exercises were intended to evaluate Taiwan’s ability to coordinate forces and react effectively during a crisis. While he did not directly name China, he said Taiwan faces external threats and challenges and pledged continued government support for both the military and Coast Guard.

The president also called on personnel involved in the exercises to improve coordination and mutual understanding so they can respond effectively to different scenarios while protecting Taiwan’s sovereignty and public safety.

An Anping-class Coast Guard catamaran participated in Saturday’s drills, highlighting the Coast Guard’s expected role in supporting Taiwan’s navy during a conflict. The Anping-class vessels are based on the Taiwanese navy’s highly manoeuvrable Tuo Chiang-class fast attack warships.

Taiwan’s military has described the Tuo Chiang vessels as “aircraft carrier killers” because of their anti-ship missile capabilities. Earlier in the exercises, Lai observed missile launchers being fitted to an Anping-class Coast Guard vessel on Thursday.

The Han Kuang military drills come amid persistent tensions across the Taiwan Strait. China considers democratically governed Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Beijing has labelled Lai a separatist and rejected his repeated proposals for dialogue, while Taiwan continues efforts to strengthen its military preparedness and defence capabilities.