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The Independent
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Inside Taiwan's largest ever military drill - and why it sends China a clear message
Dawn is yet to break in Taipei as two dozen armed troops take their positions inside the city's Songshan Airport. They are practising an assault drill that will help them to learn how to secure an airfield in the event of a possible Chinese invasion. Elsewhere in the city, heavy tanks and military vehicles roll down the streets and soldiers build up blocks on a bridge connecting Taiwan's capital with New Taipei – a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. In a park, cyclists whistle past Patriot anti-missile defence systems. Wu Huan Chung, 19, says she was in the PX Mart supermarket when she saw civil defence groups and local officials – who also play a part in military drills – prepare an elderly man for war. 'They played out a scenario where a man, likely in his 50s, was worried about a limited supply of food at his house if he didn't stock up on supplies. He told this to the store manager,' Chung tells The Independent over a video call from Taipei. 'The staff member then explained to him in a calm voice that the supermarket is storing large quantities of food in the supermarket basement for an extreme scenario and that they are fully prepared,' she says. Chung, a sociology student who has lived in Taipei for more than a year, says that staff members at the store were taught basic breathing exercises, evacuation drills for an air raid alert and methods to calm down a panicked crowd. 'From night to day, without pause – this is #HanKuang41,' the defence ministry announced as the annual Han Kuang exercises kicked off on 9 July. More than 22,000 reservists took part over 10 days - a mobilisation unprecedented in both length and scale. A day earlier, Lai Ching Te, the president of the self-governed democracy who China has branded a 'separatist', swapped his fitted suit for olive green military uniform of the Taiwanese defence forces as he observed amphibious landings being practised by the country's troops. These would be needed in the event of Chinese naval aggression in Taiwan 's coastal areas. 'On the ground today to observe the ongoing #HanKuang exercises. To strengthen #Taiwan's defences against amphibious landings, our troops are utilising the latest technologies & weapons systems in tight coordination – boosting deterrence with increased agility & mobility,' Lai wrote in a post on X. Taiwan is facing a rising military threat from Beijing, which considers the separately governed island as its own despite Taipei's strong rejection. China's leader Xi Jinping has vowed to 'reunite' the island with the mainland by force if necessary. The drills included fortifying ports and possible Chinese landing points on the island, which lies 160km (100 miles) off the Chinese coast. Taiwan's military and navy are practising how to counter Beijing's 'grey zone tactics', which stop just short of open warfare but aim to weaken an enemy over a long period. They are using weapons recently delivered by the US, including Abram M1A2T tanks, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and waterborne drones. The ten-day annual exercise is the most intense in Taiwan's history. It is hoped that it will be the most realistic simulation of how Taiwan would defend against a possible Chinese invasion, which the Pentagon has said could happen in or before 2027. The defence ministry has called on the public to show patience with any disruptions to flights or traffic and not to believe false information distributed about the exercises. Civil defence volunteers say the drills are a welcome change as they help to educate the Taiwanese population against the danger of Chinese military escalation. Yi Chou, a member of WatchOut, an NGO working on generating awareness around an invasion, says she is relieved that the drills have made the Chinese invasion a mainstream national concern. 'We as volunteers have been working on this but only until like a few weeks ago, I began a light-hearted conversation with my family that we should really start preparing. It is not an easy topic in Taiwan, especially if you want to talk with your parents,' she tells The Independent. Instagram and other social media platforms help to keep young people educated, she says, but conversations about preparing for an attack with parents can be difficult. 'If something really happens, questions like 'where should we meet' are an uncomfortable eventuality to prepare for.' She adds: 'Other than that, people are discussing what food and medical aid they are keeping in their emergency bags, which shows that everyone is preparing.' Taiwan is already battling Chinese disinformation attacks, according to lawmakers from President Lai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which stands for the island's independence. They say the Han Kuang drills are 'unprecedented' in scale and duration. 'We are facing China so we want to be well prepared. The administration knows civil resilience is very important and it represents a crucial component of our national security,' says Fan Yun, member of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan). 'We are demonstrating to our enemy our determination and ability to defend ourselves with practical actions,' she tells The Independent. 'If our adversary wants to take any extreme action, we want them to know that Taiwan has the ability to protect itself, that we have the resilience to sustain for quite a long time and that the cost will be too big for them to bear.' China has responded to Taiwan's military drills in typically brutal fashion. 'The Han Kuang exercise is nothing but a bluffing and self-deceiving trick by the DPP authorities, attempting to bind the Taiwanese people to the Taiwan independence cart and harm Taiwan for the selfish interests of one party,' Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Col Jiang Bing said at a news conference. 'No matter how they perform or what weapons they use, they cannot resist the PLA's anti-independence sword and the historical trend of the motherland's inevitable reunification,' Col Jiang said. On Thursday alone, China sent 58 PLA aircraft, 9 PLA Navy vessels and one official ship operating around Taiwan in the early hours, in what Taiwan said was 'harassment operations around Taiwan's air and sea domains' to disrupt the Han Kuang exercise under the pretext of so-called 'joint combat readiness patrol'. Though there is debate within China over whether to invade Taiwan, residents on the island are united. The preparation on war footing cuts across party lines: drills involve different municipal authorities, national government agencies and professional emergency responders. 'In Taiwan we say, the colour of your political party's flag does not matter, because a missile has no eyes.'
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Fulong Sand Sculptures: Amazing Disney-Pixar-Marvel sand art to inspire you
How ambitious do you get with your sandcastles when you visit the beach? Well here's something pretty spectacular inspire you with!This is the Fulong International Sand Sculptures Art Festival, at Fulong beach in New Taipei, year the focus is on some familiar Disney-Pixar characters - let's take a look. Some of the scultpures are one - that almost looks like one of the pyramids, shows loads of the characters from Toy Story. Woody is there, along with Buzz and Jessie v tech: Toy Story 5 has a new villain 'I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, build me an epic sandcastle.'Moana gets the sand art treatment here and there's Maui on the back of the you spot Hei Hei in there? If you are a fan of newer movies how about the pair of space troublemakers from Elio?The umbrella in the background isn't being used for rain but to protect people from the heat of the can meet the stars of Elio in our video here. From Pixar to Marvel next and the cast of Fantastic new movie is due out later this year and is a reboot of one of the comic world's most famous Four: First Steps. Find out more. Sometimes it's nice to just chill at the beach and watch other people make sandcastles, like these Disney Fulong International Sand Sculptures Art Festival features more than 40 pieces of sand sculptures created by artists from different parts of the world. Locals and tourists can visit it all summer until the end of September when it closes.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Darren Wang charged over plans for military evasion
18 Jun - Darren Wang has finally been charged for the offences involving dodging Taiwan's mandatory military service. The Taiwanese actor joined 27 others who have also been charged, with the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office stating that he was charged for forgery of public documents. It is noted that Darren paid a man named Chen Chih-ming to falsify his records so that he can evade military service. However, he eventually reported for duty in March this year, after the plan was not carried out due to Chen's arrest. Nonetheless, despite knowing that his ID card and health insurance card were not lost but was given to an impostor, he still lied in February and applied to the Household Registration Office and the National Health Insurance Administration to reissue his ID card and health insurance card. On the other hand, the rest of the men were charged with violating the Punishment Act for Violation to Military Service System after they falsified their health status to avoid service. Prosecutors are also recommending a sentence of at least five years in prison for Chen for masterminding the draft evasions and earning NTD 7.63 million from it. (Photo Source: Darren Fanpage IG, LTN)
CNA
12-06-2025
- CNA
Singaporean stalker of Taiwanese singer Olivia Tsao gets six months' jail
A Singaporean woman has been sentenced to six months in jail in Taiwan after she stalked and harassed singer Olivia Tsao. On Jun 5, Cassandra Low was found guilty by the New Taipei District Court of endangering the personal safety of Tsao, stalking and harassing her, as well as publicly insulting the singer. The published court judgment, which Low posted on her Instagram and Facebook pages on Jun 11, cited how Low had been frequently sending messages to the 38-year-old multiple Golden Melody Awards winner through emails and social media since Nov 2023. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 曹雅雯 Olivia Tsao (@oliviarougejaloux) After Tsao blocked Low, who was identified as in her 30s, the latter began intimidating, stalking and harassing the singer. Low had also entered Taiwan on Feb 2025 and followed Tsao to Banqiao High Speed Rail Station in Taipei, where she pulled Tsao, her suitcase as well as an accessory attached to her mobile phone. Low also stopped the singer from calling the police and forced the Tsao to unblock her on social media. Low was sentenced to six months in jail, or a fine of NT$1,000 (S$43) for each day of imprisonment. She will be deported from Taiwan after either serving her jail term or paying the fine. Tsao also shared her relief over the outcome on Instagram that same day.
Malay Mail
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Singaporean jailed six months in Taiwan for stalking Golden Melody Award winner Olivia Tsao Ya-wen
TAIPEI, June 12 — A Singaporean woman has been sentenced to six months in jail in Taiwan for stalking and harassing Golden Melody Award-winning singer Olivia Tsao Ya-wen, after her obsession with the star escalated into threats and public confrontation. According to The Straits Times, Cassandra Low, a woman in her 30s, was found guilty by the New Taipei District Court of endangering the personal safety of Tsao, and of offences including stalking, harassment and public insult. The court's verdict, published on June 5, followed months of troubling behaviour that forced the singer and her agent to leave their homes. Low, described in court documents as a long-time fan of Tsao, began contacting the singer via personal emails and messages on Facebook and Instagram from November 2023. However, her behaviour took a dark turn after she was blocked on social media by Tsao. According to the judgment, Low reacted by posting threats and abuse directed at the singer, her family, and her agent. In one Facebook post, she wrote: 'I can be very aggressive. The more stubborn she is... don't blame me for whatever I do to her parents.' In another, she said: 'Blocking me, see how I slowly let her agent die.' The online threats eventually drove both Tsao and her agent to leave their residences in New Taipei City out of fear for their safety. The situation intensified in February when Low followed Tsao to Banqiao high-speed rail station after learning the singer was travelling. She grabbed Tsao's luggage and phone in an attempt to pressure her into restoring contact. In a video recorded by Tsao, Low is seen physically blocking her and demanding a reconciliation until police intervened. The court sentenced Low to six months in prison. She may choose to pay a commuted fine of NT$1,000 (S$43) per day of her sentence, but the court noted that her high salary as a Singaporean — reportedly more than twice that of a typical Taiwanese worker — meant a financial penalty alone would not reflect the severity of her actions. Low will be deported once she serves her sentence or pays the full fine. Tsao, 38, responded to the verdict in a June 11 post on social media, saying: 'This is the most comforting piece of news I have received recently,' and thanked her supporters and legal team for their help. Better known by her Chinese name Tsao Ya-wen, the singer performs primarily in Taiwanese Hokkien and won the Best Female Taiwanese Singer award at the Golden Melody Awards in 2021. She has previously spoken about feeling 'helpless and uncomfortable' when fans crossed personal boundaries, though she did not identify individuals at the time.
