Taiwan war games to closely mimic combat

Taiwan's annual war games in 2024 will be as close as possible to actual combat, no longer just putting on a show to score points but aiming to simulate real fighting given a rapidly rising "enemy threat" from China, a senior official said.

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China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, has been staging regular exercises around the island for four years to pressure Taipei to accept Beijing's claim of sovereignty, despite Taiwan's strong objections.

Taiwan starts its five-day Han Kuang exercises on July 22.

A senior Taiwanese defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was an urgent need to rethink how the drills were conducted.

"In recent years, the enemy threat has changed rapidly," the official said. "Our defence combat plan must also be revised continuously on a rolling basis, and the urgency of comprehensive combat training is becoming more and more important."