Taiwan has conducted its first urban resilience exercise. Residents of three cities practised how to evacuate and seek shelter during an air raid, including while out shopping for groceries.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has watched live-fire drills with new U.S.-made Abrams M1A2T tanks during annual defense exercises.

Chen Binhua (陳斌華), spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, accused the DPP administration of “stubbornly” clinging to separatist views, Liberty Times reported.

China views the democratically governed island as its own and has intensified military pressure around Taiwan over the last five years. Lai's comments also come ahead of a recall parliamentary election on July 26 that could see his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) take back control of the legislature.

Taiwan included its first batch of 38 U.S.-purchased M1A2T Abrams tanks in a live-fire exercise at Hsinchu military base on Thursday, as it launched its annual military exercises intended to guard against Chinese threats.

Taiwan's military has, for the first time, opened to the media a live-fire drill using US-made Abrams main battle tanks.

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.

Expanded Han Kuang Exercise is simulating a prolonged PLA attack with a ‘scenario-driven, no spoiler’ approach, officials say.