Asymmetric Defense: Civilians Join Taiwan's Han Kuang Drills Against China

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Taiwan’s Han Kuang 42 exercise is entering its final stage, putting the island’s military and society through their most demanding wartime test yet. This year's drills go beyond live-fire exercises, testing whether Taiwan can sustain a prolonged defense through decentralized command, nationwide civil resilience and closer integration between civilian and military resources. New capabilities — including M1 Abrams tanks, HIMARS, attack drones and a newly established coastal defense command — are being exercised alongside communications disruptions, reserve mobilization and urban resilience drills. At the same time, China has maintained military pressure with maritime exercises across the region. In this episode, we examine the key innovations of Han Kuang 42, how Taiwan compares with allied exercises across the Indo-Pacific, and what the drills reveal about deterrence, readiness and the future of cross-Strait security. *Recorded on August 12, 2026 at 11am Taiwan Standard Time Host: Rath Wang Producer: Miguel Yang Videographer: Ko Gi Our guests: Tony Hu - Former US Department of Defense Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia Kitsch Liao - Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub Associate Director

Taiwan-China Cross-Strait Tensions