Taiwan's annual military exercise, Han Kuang, begins on Wednesday as the island ramps up its defence against a possible invasion from China. Billed as the largest and longest one so far, this year's Han Kuang will last for about 10 days, about twice the duration of last year's drill.

Amped-up drills and new U.S. tanks have added bite to President Lai Ching-te’s Taiwan-is-a-country lecture tour.

Taiwanese military tests new M1A2T tanks during annual Han Kuang Exercise in show of force aimed at boosting morale, combat readiness.

The island of Taiwan is holding its annual Han Kuang Exercise, which began Wednesday and will run until July 18. Compared to past years, this year's drills focus more on real-life scenarios and are conducted more openly.

Taiwan conducted live-fire exercises with U.S.-made tanks as President Lai Ching-te watched, amid tensions with China over the island's sovereignty.

In Hsinchu County, President William Lai (賴清德) monitored a live-fire exercise at the Kengzikou Range (坑子口訓練場) involving a platoon of M1A2T tanks purchased from the US. The tanks fired individually, in pairs and as a full platoon. Following the drill, the army said that the tanks had achieved “perfect” accuracy.

Taiwan launched its largest ever military drills on Wednesday, starting with simulated attacks on its command systems and infrastructure ahead of a Chinese invasion, senior defence officials said.

Taiwan's annual military exercise, Han Kuang, kicked off this week as part of the island's defense drills preparing for a hypothetical China invasion; Seoul has returned six North Koreans to their home country,

China claims Taiwan as its own despite Taipei's objections. The United States does not recognize Taiwan's statehood but has political and economic stakes in a peaceful resolution to the decades-long dispute, and is obliged by U.S. law to help Taipei arm itself against a possible attack.

The annual 10-day Han Kuang exercise will test Taiwan’s ability to respond to a Chinese attack on its command structure.