Photo/Illutration Soldiers take part in the first day of the annual Han Kuang military drills at a fishing port in Taoyuan, Taiwan on July 22. (REUTERS)

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

The early stages of the annual Han Kuang exercises will focus on testing how Taiwan’s military can decentralize command in the event of a crippling communications attack. Over the next 10 days, the drills will expand to assess Taiwan’s combat readiness against a full-scale attempt to seize the island.

“We are learning from the situation in Ukraine in recent years and realistically thinking about what Taiwan might face ... in real combat,” said one senior defense official, highlighting the need to protect command and communication systems.

“Commanders have to think what issues their troops might face and they need to pass them down to their subordinates,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation.

Cyber-attacks and misinformation campaigns are seen by Taiwan as high-intensity “grey zone” actions that are likely to precede a broader Chinese assault.

The annual Han Kuang exercises will this year mobilise the largest number of reservists, some 22,000, and for the first time feature New High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, made by Lockheed Martin, along with Taiwan-developed Sky Sword surface-to-air missiles.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has intensified military pressure around the island over the last five years, including a string of war games.

Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, and any attack on Taiwan could ignite a broader regional war.

As they evolve, the drills will feature 24-hour operations army, naval and air operations to defend Taiwan coasts.

Civil defense elements will also be tested, including the creation of emergency supply stations as well as the use of Taiwan’s recently-expanded air-raid shelters.

China’s defense ministry said on Tuesday that Taiwan’s Han Kuang military exercises were “nothing but a bluff.”

“No matter what weapons are used, Taiwan can’t resist the People’s Liberation Army’s sharp sword against independence,” ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV.

The Taiwanese senior defense official said they wanted to show China that they faced an unpredictable foe and that any invasion scenario was growing more complex, while showing the international community that Taiwan was determined to defend itself.

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te and his government strongly object to China’s sovereignty claims, saying it is up to the island’s people to decide their future.

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