{"id":2395,"date":"2026-08-07T04:38:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T04:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2395"},"modified":"2026-08-07T04:38:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T04:38:20","slug":"taiwans-military-drills-suggest-deeper-alignment-with-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2395","title":{"rendered":"Taiwan\u2019s military drills suggest deeper alignment with the US"},"content":{"rendered":"
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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) \u2014 Through this year\u2019s military drills, Taiwan has chosen to emphasize its army\u2019s and society\u2019s flexibility and resilience as opposed to primarily putting advanced weapons on display. Experts say the exercises\u2019 structure indicates closer ties with the U.S. military in the face of China\u2019s ongoing military threat<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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The annual Huang Kuang drills<\/span> kicked off on Wednesday and are set to extend through Aug. 14 in various locations around the island. The live-fire exercises will test the Taiwanese army\u2019s ability to sustain 24-hour defense operations as well as counter China\u2019s \u201cgray-zone tactics,\u201d<\/span> which stop just short of open warfare.<\/p>\n

China claims the self-ruled democracy as its own territory, and has not renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan dismisses China\u2019s claims and insists it is a sovereign state.<\/p>\n

The United States, while not recognizing Taiwan as a country, sees all threats to the island as a matter of great concern. Washington is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.<\/p>\n

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The drills show closer ties with the US military<\/h2>\n

While there has long been speculation that the U.S. military has been quietly training Taiwanese troops, the collaboration between the two sides has been more visible in recent weeks. A key component of the Han Kuang drills, for example, is the practice of a U.S.-inspired military communications method called backbriefing, where subordinates explain to commanders how they plan to carry out assigned missions. <\/p>\n

The communication drills are intended to encourage first-line fighters to be more self-reliant and effective in battle, experts say.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe most important new development in this year\u2019s Han Kuang is the incorporation of American-style military training methods, which are aimed at enhancing the coordination and combat readiness of the Taiwanese military,\u201d said William Yang, a senior Northeast Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group.<\/p>\n

The drills thus \u201cstay away from the mostly performative tasks of firepower display\u201d of past years and instead focus on building real combat capabilities, Yang added.<\/p>\n

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Emphasis on reservists and urban resilience<\/h2>\n

Another focus of this year\u2019s drills is that they will mobilize one of the largest numbers yet of reservists, of around 20,000 personnel, according to local media. Taiwan\u2019s Defense Ministry did not say how many reservists will be involved in the drills.<\/p>\n

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The emphasis on reserves illustrates Taiwan\u2019s efforts to address the military power asymmetry between itself and China, Yang said. China maintains the world\u2019s largest army, of more than 2 million active-duty personnel, almost nine times the size of Taiwan\u2019s active-duty armed forces.<\/p>\n

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