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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-17/taiwan-military-defence-drills-china-beijing-ccp/105533006>
'For more than a week, from train stations to supermarkets, almost every corner
of Taiwan has been touched by the island's annual military drills.
At a primary school in New Taipei City, children on summer camp played
badminton inside a sports hall while just outside, soldiers fired cannons and
rifles.
They were rehearsing a hypothetical battle against China's People's Liberation
Army (PLA).
"I was responsible for providing cover from enemy fire," soldier Zhu Yuwei
said.
"The live training with blanks felt much more intense and realistic compared to
the regular training we do at the base."
While the scenario feels scripted, the proximity of the kids watching on as red
smoke billows from what is normally their school basketball courts also drives
home what is really at stake for Taiwan as it comes under increasing pressure
from Beijing.
The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan is a province of China and continues
to insist it will one day join the People's Republic, refusing to renounce the
use of force to achieve that goal.
Polls have shown the majority of Taiwanese people want to maintain the status
quo.
In 2024, pro-sovereignty President Lai Ching-te was elected despite Beijing's
protestations that he was a "dangerous separatist".
While life in Taiwan largely continues as normal, weeks like this are a
reminder Beijing's threat constantly looms.
Depending on how long these tensions continue, the kids watching the drills may
one day be called up to defend their home.
This year, the government has beefed up these annual military drills, called
Han Kuang, which have been running since the 1980s.
They are going for twice as long as usual.
In what Defence Minister Wellington Koo says is the biggest mobilisation of
reservists during these drills, more than 20,000 have been called up to take
part.
By upping the ante, the authorities are trying to send a message not just to
Beijing, but also Taiwan's allies, especially the US, that it is stepping up
and is prepared to defend itself.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
