Lin Fei-fan
In July 2025, Taiwan conducted one of its most extensive military exercises in decades. This time, however, the training did not occur in isolated training grounds but in the heart of Taiwan’s cities. Tanks moved through urban streets, more than 20,000 reservists were mobilized, soldiers transported weapons via underground metro systems, and simulated strikes targeted critical infrastructure, including the river crossings that link Taipei’s urban core. As part of the exercise, planners tested civilian agencies under extreme contingency scenarios while air-raid alerts emptied the streets. Underground parking lots and metro stations served as bomb shelters, and schools and civic centers became relief shelters and emergency medical hubs. The exercise also mobilized nongovernmental organizations and fire and police agencies to support material distribution logistics and community protection efforts. The government even released updated civil defense instructions, providing the public with air-raid sheltering and safety guidelines.
The exercise, in other words, extended far beyond the armed forces and reflected Taiwan’s deepening belief that effective deterrence against China relies not only on military modernization but also on societal resilience—the ability of Taiwan’s people to withstand the most extreme scenarios or to resist an invasion. Although it was the first time the Taiwanese people witnessed such a large-scale exercise in their own neighborhoods, the public did not panic but instead expressed strong support for these realistic training and preparedness efforts.
Since 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made no secret of his ambitions to annex Taiwan, by force if necessary, and to seek Indo-Pacific dominance. The Chinese Communist Party has framed these objectives as essential to the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” and has targeted Taiwan with escalating military pressure and hybrid operations across multiple domains. From near-daily incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone to large-scale kinetic drills, cyberattacks, and disinformation operations, Beijing has pursued a campaign designed not simply to intimidate but to erode Taiwan’s confidence and capacity to resist.
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