Lai oversees coastal strike drill at Taiwan war games
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- Lai Ching-te boarded a fast attack missile boat at Kaohsiung naval base on Saturday, broadcasting a message to sailors as he oversaw coastal strike drills during the Han Kuang exercises.
- The Han Kuang exercises kicked off Wednesday and run for 10 days, focusing on combat readiness against a potential Chinese invasion using live troops, terrain, and equipment to test command coordination and homeland defence, per Lai.
- Lai pledged the government would give the military and Coast Guard their greatest support against "external threats," without directly naming China in his remarks.
- Small low-flying attack drones swarmed over beach and sea during the drill, while a Coast Guard Anping-class catamaran participated because the Coast Guard is expected to support the navy in wartime.
- The Anping-class ships are based on the navy's Tuo Chiang fast attack warships, dubbed by Taiwan's military the "aircraft carrier killer" for their anti-ship missile complement.
- On Thursday, Lai had separately watched missile launchers being installed on an Anping-class Coast Guard ship, highlighting Taiwan's integration of Coast Guard assets into wartime strike roles.
- China views Lai as a "separatist" and has rejected his repeated offers of talks, having vowed to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary.
Why it matters: Lai's personal oversight and emphasis on "live" conditions signal Taiwan's push to demonstrate credible deterrence against China, with the integration of Coast Guard Anping-class catamarans — built on the anti-ship missile-armed Tuo Chiang hull — blurring the boundary between civilian and military assets ahead of any cross-strait contingency.
