Lai Ching-Te’s Shocking Move: China Cancels Taiwan Drills, Landing Ships Are Insufficient

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On March 25th and 27th, Taiwan's defense department detected nearly 30 Chinese military aircraft on combat patrols. Each day, six ships— including Type 052D destroyers and Type 071 amphibious landing ships— coordinated with the aircraft in what appeared to be a show of force aimed at blocking Taiwan. In response, Taiwan quickly scrambled more than 10 F-16Vs and several Mirage 2000-5s, successfully pushing the Chinese jets out of its air defense identification zone. On March 27th, around 1,500 people took part in a national defense exercise in Tainan, with President Lai Ching-te declaring that "every citizen is a soldier," as 170,000 active-duty troops and 400,000 reserves were placed on high alert.

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