TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The annual Han Kuang military exercises, Taiwan's largest war games since 1984, are designed to ensure combat readiness against a potential Chinese invasion. Recent evaluations by the military suggest that northern areas of Taiwan could be primary targets in the event of an assault by China.
The military has identified the Tamsui River as a likely point of entry for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), enabling access through the "iron triangle" of defense to key northern regions such as Hsinchu, Taoyuan, and Taipei.
This analysis has sparked discussions among public officials during recent legislative meetings, leading to demands for Taiwan's Armed Forces to conduct live-fire drills at the Tamsui River mouth. These exercises are intended to assess defense capabilities and combat effectiveness.
However, Shih Hsiao-wei, chief editor of Military and Aviation News, pointed out the challenges of conducting live-fire tests on the Tamsui River, especially due to the proximity of a busy port in Taipei. He noted that if explosives were used in the river, tracking the resulting sediments would be nearly impossible.
Sun Ping-chung, former deputy director of a joint intelligence research center at the Ministry of National Defense (MND), emphasized the need for a comprehensive understanding of the impact of defense strategies. He expressed openness to the deployment of explosive strategies to strengthen defense, provided that the timing and objectives are clearly defined.
