The defense ministry says its annual live-fire military exercises are scheduled to begin on July 13. The drills are to test Taiwan's defense capabilities against simulated threats from China.
The Han Kuang Exercise No. 36 is a five-day drill that involves the army, navy and air force in Taiwan proper and off-shore islands.
A defense ministry official said on Tuesday the exercises are aimed at boosting Taiwan’s defensive capabilities and testing the effectiveness of military training.
A war game simulation will be held in mid-September.
The annual military drills were originally scheduled for April. It was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All soldiers will be required to wear a face mask during the drills.
Also on Tuesday, the defense ministry said it is closely monitoring Taiwan’s airspace and coastal areas. That’s after Taiwanese military aircraft chased away Chinese Su-30 fighters that entered Taiwan’s airspace briefly in the morning. Meanwhile, a US transport plane also flew across Taiwan’s airspace on Tuesday morning.