Amped-up drills and new U.S. tanks have added bite to President Lai Ching-te’s Taiwan-is-a-country lecture tour.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Air Force’s 5th Tactical Fighter Wing carried out “hot refueling” drills for F-16 fighter jets Friday morning at Chiashan Air Force Base in Hualien. The drills are part of the ongoing Han Kuang 41 live-fire exercise, which began on Wednesday.

Taiwan launched its largest ever military drills on Wednesday, starting with simulated attacks on its command systems and infrastructure ahead of a Chinese invasion, senior defence officials said.

China claims Taiwan as its own despite Taipei's objections. The United States does not recognize Taiwan's statehood but has political and economic stakes in a peaceful resolution to the decades-long dispute, and is obliged by U.S. law to help Taipei arm itself against a possible attack.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US should withdraw all military personnel from Taiwan, the Washington D.C.-based think tank Defense Priorities said in a report published on Wednesday. If the training is necessary, it can be provided in the US, the report said. The think tank claimed that Taiwan assumes the US would intervene if China attacked.

Theme Poster "Overwhelming Grip" Released by PLA Eastern Theater Command Hyped as the longest-ever, the island of Taiwan's annual Han Kuang drills kicked off on Wednesday, local media reported. While seemingly aimed at improving defense for the Taiwan authorities,