Taiwan's largest-ever annual military drills tested whole-of-society defense against a possible Chinese invasion
Taiwan ran its largest-ever Han Kuang military exercise from August 5-14, testing civil defense including internet blackout drills for its 23 million residents, while lawmakers fight over billions in defense spending. Per Semafor / AFP (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Taiwan conducted its largest-ever annual Han Kuang military exercise from August 5-14, 2026, combining combat drills for troops and reservists with whole-of-society civil defense exercises for the island's 23 million residents, including a deliberate slowdown of mobile internet during air raid drills. In May, Taiwan's opposition-controlled parliament passed a $25 billion special defense budget while stripping out $15 billion the government had sought for domestic drone procurement. Taiwan's government is also weighing a 16% increase to its 2027 defense budget. Sources: Semafor (Aug 11, 2026) and Asharq Al-Awsat/AFP (Aug 5, 2026). Visuals and voiceover are AI-generated.