Taiwan launches ‘urban resilience’ drills to test war readiness amid PLA pressure

Taiwan launched sweeping civil defence exercises across the island’s capital Taipei and several northern cities on July 17, 2025. The exercises were designed to test society-wide wartime readiness and urban resilience in the face of escalating pressure from mainland China. The drills were held alongside the island’s annual Han Kuang military exercise, Taiwan’s largest and most comprehensive war games. This year marks the first time that the government has officially integrated its long-running civil response and air defence drills into a single, comprehensive “urban resilience exercise”.