Taiwan drills send 'serious' message with more realism, internet throttling

Taiwan tensionsAs 10 days of exercises wrap up, observers see progress but warn of hybrid threatsA Taiwanese soldier fires a gun aboard an armored vehicle during the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Taipei on Aug. 13. © ReutersTHOMPSON CHAUAugust 14, 2026 13:50 JSTKAOHSIUNG, Taiwan -- Taiwan on Friday reached the end of an intense stretch of combat drills and civil defense tests meant to gauge the island democracy's readiness to confront an invasion or blockade by China, including the first intentional mobile internet disruptions.