Taiwan conducts 5-day military drills amid ongoing pressure from China

Taiwan launched a five-day military drill on Monday amid ongoing Chinese pressure on the island, which it claims as its own territory. The drills are aimed at boosting Taiwan's military readiness in the event of a Chinese attack. 

The Immediate Combat Readiness Exercises are aimed at testing how quickly military units can be deployed in the face of possible escalation of grey-zone warfare by China, the Associated Press reported. Grey-zone warfare involves aggressive tactics varying from drone flights to navy ship patrols and does not involve direct combat.

Videos and photographs of the exercise showed tanks driving down the streets and highways as armored vehicles from the Army’s 269th Infantry Brigade conducted combat readiness drills. 

The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the exercise, announced Sunday afternoon, was meant to be realistic, highlighting the “real-time, live-fire and on-site” nature of the drill.

China’s People's Liberation Army deployed 23 aircraft towards Taiwan from Sunday to Monday morning, along with seven navy ships and five Chinese government ships. This occurs on a daily basis, with China sending warplanes, drones, and navy ships to the vicinity of the island. 

Taiwan also regularly conducts readiness exercises and is seeking to boost its defense capabilities amid ongoing pressure from China. 

China has claimed that the island is its own territory, while Taiwan rejects Beijing's "one country, two systems" framework. China has not renounced the option of military attack to bring it under its control. 

In early June, Taiwan fired rockets toward China for the first time as part of its military exercise.