Taiwan Holds First Joint Drills With Attack Drones Before Trump-Xi Summit
Taiwan conducted its first joint combat drills using multiple types of attack drones, days before a Trump-Xi summit where the island's future is expected to be discussed.
Taiwan carried out military exercises on Friday that for the first time included joint combat drills involving several kinds of attack drones, alongside missile launches, according to a statement from the presidential office.
The drills took place in Pingtung county in southern Taiwan and also featured the firing of multiple anti-air, anti-ship and anti-landing missiles. The statement did not identify the specific drone models tested.
President Lai Ching-te said the exercises demonstrated the Taiwanese military's modernization efforts. "The coordinated use of unmanned vehicles with conventional weapons reflects the adaptation to modern warfare," he said.
The drills come ahead of a summit next week in the United States between President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping, the first meeting between the two leaders since May. The status of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, is expected to be on the agenda.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its own breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control. It has pressed Washington to take a firmer stance against Taiwanese independence.
Taiwan has raised its military spending in recent years and depends on arms purchases from the United States, which is bound by its own laws to supply the island with the means to defend itself. U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have been a recurring subject in talks between Trump and Xi. After their last summit, Trump postponed a planned $14 billion arms package to Taiwan, raising questions about Washington's commitment. He has described the arms sales as a "very good negotiating chip" with China.
Taiwan's army is scheduled to continue drills next week, involving newly acquired U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems and Stinger missile simulators, among other equipment.