Taiwan’s presidential office conducted its first-ever tabletop exercise simulating a military escalation with China, several officials briefed on the matter, at a time when the island faces new Chinese military threats.
China has stepped up its military threats in recent years, including a large naval presence this month and daily military activities near democratic Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own in defiance of Taipei.
The war games inside the presidential office in Taipei were led by Vice President Seo Bi-Khim and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, officials familiar with the meeting told Reuters.
The exercise will test scenarios including China’s “high-intensity” gray-zone warfare, as well as response readiness by Taiwanese government offices and civil society when the island is “on the brink of conflict,” a security official familiar with the matter said.
China has held two rounds of major exercises around Taiwan this year, one in May and another in October, called “Joint Swords – 2024A” and B, respectively, to pressure Taipei.
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