Taiwan launches annual war games with simulated attacks against military command
The early stages of the annual Han Kuang exercises will focus on testing how Taiwan's military can decentralise command in the event of a crippling communications attack. Over the next 10 days, the drills will expand to assess Taiwan's combat readiness against a full-scale attempt to seize the island.
"We are learning from the situation in Ukraine in recent years and realistically thinking about what Taiwan might face ... in real combat," said one senior defence official, highlighting the need to protect command and communication systems.
"Commanders have to think what issues their troops might face and they need to pass them down to their subordinates," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation.
Cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns are seen by Taiwan as high-intensity "grey zone" actions that are likely to precede a broader Chinese assault.
The annual Han Kuang exercises will this year mobilise the largest number of reservists, some 22,000, and for the first time feature New High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, made by Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab, along with Taiwan-developed Sky Sword surface-to-air missiles.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has intensified military pressure around the island over the last five years, including a string of war games.
Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, and any attack on Taiwan could ignite a broader regional war.
As they evolve, the drills will feature 24-hour operations army, naval and air operations to defend Taiwan coasts.
Civil defence elements will also be tested, including the creation of emergency supply stations as well as the use of Taiwan's recently-expanded air-raid shelters.
China's defence ministry said on Tuesday that Taiwan's Han Kuang military exercises were "nothing but a bluff".
"No matter what weapons are used, Taiwan can't resist the People's Liberation Army's sharp sword against independence," ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV.
The Taiwanese senior defence official said they wanted to show China that they faced an unpredictable foe and that any invasion scenario was growing more complex, while showing the international community that Taiwan was determined to defend itself.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te and his government strongly object to China's sovereignty claims, saying it is up to the island's people to decide their future.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
US government to invest in rare earths production
The US government is to become the biggest shareholder in the country's only operational rare earths is also going to take a series of other steps to underpin the future of the operation in Mountain Pass, earths are essential to huge amounts of modern technology, such as electric cars and wind to these metals has been at the heart of a US-China trade war, with Beijing controlling about 90% of global mining capacity. MP Materials, which owns the mine, has entered into an agreement with the US Department of Defense that is designed to reduce America's dependency on imports of rare deal means that for the next 10 years the US government will commit to MP Materials receiving a minimum price of $110 per kg for its neodymium and praseodymium are two of the most in-demand of the 17 different rare earths for the global economy. They are crucial for making permanent magnets, which are found in everything from smartphones to MRI scanners and electric move follows concerns that China has used its near total control of the industry to push prices down and force companies in other countries out of is home to about 70% of the world's rare earth mining and 90% of refining capacity as a result of years of government support for the the agreement, MP Materials will build a new US facility to increase how much of the raw materials from the mine it can turn into useable location is still to be decided, but the company says it will serve both defence and commercial of this will be funded by the Department of Defense buying $400m of newly created shares."This initiative marks a decisive action by the Trump administration to accelerate American supply chain independence," said MP Materials founder and chief executive James now Shenghe Resources, a company partly owned by the Chinese government, has been one of MP Materials' largest had been the sole customer for the output of the Californian mine, which meant that its rare earths were being sent to China for this year, MP Materials said that it would stop doing this because of the huge 125% tariffs that China imposed on US goods, in response to the 145% tariffs President Trump had imposed on Chinese added that tariffs meant sending its output to China was neither commercially viable nor in alignment with America's national interests. Rare earths have been at the heart of efforts to repair a US-China trade relationship that has deteriorated since Trump returned to the White tariffs led Beijing to impose a new export licensing regime that severely limited how much of these materials was reaching American agreement to improve that access, in exchange for lifting some of the US's own export restrictions in other areas, was at the heart of recent trade talks between the world's two biggest economies in London and that commitment the US complained that it has not been implemented fast the longer term, domestic supplies are the US's best bet on increasing access to the rare earths which are crucial to the manufacturing that is at the heart of Trump's economic vision for the export controls have also led to criticism in Europe, with the European Parliament voting in favour of a resolution that called Beijing's controls "unjustified" and "intended to be coercive".They also urged the European Commission to speed up the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act, which came into force last year and is designed to reduce Europe's reliance on a visit to Germany last week, China's foreign minister downplayed these concerns, saying it was his country's "sovereign right" as well as being "common practice" to control exports of goods that have both commercial as well as military uses.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Breakingviews - Japan Inc's trade attack on Ishiba rings hollow
HONG KONG, July 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It's a sure sign of corporate jitters when Japan Inc. starts to turn on the business-friendly Liberal Democratic Party. Takeshi Niinami, CEO of Suntory and chair of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, did exactly that on Tuesday when he told the Financial Times, opens new tab that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had made a 'mistake' in playing hardball with U.S. President Donald Trump on tariff negotiations. Niinami said Ishiba had squandered the legacy of the late Shinzo Abe — former prime minister and legendary Trump whisperer — by refusing to open the country's rice market to U.S. imports and demanding Washington scrap all its new tariffs on Japan, including a 25% levy on auto imports from the likes of Toyota Motor (7203.T), opens new tab. That may have cost Tokyo the chance to secure 10% base tariffs, he added. It's true the U.S. raised Japan's prospective tariffs one percentage point to 25% this week when it announced a delay in reciprocal levies until August 1. But South Korea faces the same level of levies, despite only starting proper trade negotiations about a month ago after a snap presidential election. And though Japan's maximalist position has not yet yielded results for its $4 trillion economy, it's hard to condemn given how little Trump has granted to those who do cave. The UK, for instance, agreed to a trade pact but ultimately failed to even partially reverse U.S. reciprocal tariffs of 10%. Niinami's call to end agricultural protections also ignores the political importance of Japan's farmers, who have long thrown in with Ishiba's LDP and whose support will be vital in the upper house elections on July 20. Rising rice prices — up 102% in May year-on-year, the biggest spike since records began in 1971 — are hitting household sentiment and, with government rice reserves running low, becoming a political conundrum. Yet the import seal on the crop is already broken: in April, Japan bought South Korean rice for the first time since 1999, per Bloomberg, opens new tab, and some restaurants have even switched to American strains. And while consumers prefer locally grown grains, rapid purchases of even stale government rice show cost concerns now prevail. If Ishiba wants to address domestic and foreign demands without sacrificing Japanese farmers, he can pitch a one-off imports deal with the White House. Conducting a massive one-time purchase of American rice without permanently opening up the market could lower prices and help get Trump back onside. And it will give the LDP some breathing room to remedy the agricultural policies which caused domestic shortages in the first place. Follow Hudson Lockett on Bluesky, opens new tab and X, opens new tab.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Hasbro warns toy prices to spike amid Trump tariffs
The CEO of Hasbro has recently revealed that he expects toy prices will increase from August through October. Hasbro is one of the largest American toy production companies in the world, known for iconic brands like My Little Pony, Play Doh, Transformers, GI Joe, Candy Land, Scrabble, Nerf and Dungeons & Dragons. Chris Cocks has served as Hasbro's CEO since February 2022, and predicts the Trump administration's tariffs will eventually hit the industry. While Hasbro is yet to make any significant price hikes, its main international suppliers are based in China and Vietnam. The federal government slapped a 30 percent minimum tariff on China and under an agreement, Trump says the US will charge Vietnam a 20 percent tariff. Cocks believes it's only a matter of time before the levies make an impact. 'I would expect if prices are going to be raised across the industry, the consumer will probably start to see them in the August through October timeframe, just based on the production timelines associated with toys,' Cocks revealed on CNN's The Assignment podcast. He explained that the production timeline for toys typically takes three to five months. The market was rocked in April when Trump imposed a minimum 10 percent tariff on US imports. The stock market plummeted as a result , forcing the administration to issue a 90-day pause . The president has remained steadfast on applying pressure to manufacturers to make products in the US. Cocks told Cornish that although Hasbro has shifted it's supply to increase US-based production, it's easier said than done. 'If you took the same toy and manufactured it in the US, labor would make up 80 to 90 percent of the cost,' he explained. Cocks said transitioning production to the US would require paying workers more due to American labor requirements. This would mean that consumers would have to pay more for products. For example, a doll typically sold for $10 would increase to $18. The federal administration has stood by the tariffs, claiming that foreign countries should absorb the costs. The economic policy was initially in line with Trump's 'America First' mentality, attempting to alleviate the country's reliance on foreign products. Cocks said the reality was different, arguing, 'It's always a business working with another business that absorbs things.' Despite the tumultuous time for manufacturers, Cocks said since Hasbro relies on profits from it's gaming division, he's not too concerned about the company losing money due to the tariffs. 'I feel more for my toy industry CEO peers than I do necessarily for my day-to-day challenges,' he confessed. Toy companies like Mattel have also admitted to feeling the brunt of Trump's tariffs , with the manufacturer detailing a grim prediction in its 2024 financial report . 'Changes in the amount, scope and nature of the tariffs in the future... could increase Mattel's product costs and other costs of doing business,' the report stated. 'Other changes in laws or regulations in the United States and/or in other major markets, such as China, in which Mattel operates... may also increase Mattel's product costs and other costs of doing business and in each case reduce Mattel's earnings and liquidity.' Mattel manufactures almost half of its products in China and roughly another 10 percent in Mexico. China is responsible for a significant percentage of US imports, and currently has a 30 percent tariff from the Trump administration. The percentage has decreased significantly after Chinese products briefly faced tariffs as high as 145 percent. The future of trade negotiations remains uncertain as Trump pushed back the tariff pause to August 1.
