Taiwan troops rehearse sealing off Danjiang Bridge in Han Kuang war games against Chinese invasion scenario

Han Kuang exercises launch

Taiwan launched its annual Han Kuang military exercises on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, a tradition maintained every summer since 1984. The drills, lasting 10 days, test the island's command ability to respond to a large-scale conflict, particularly a Chinese attack. President Lai Ching-te was evacuated wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest as part of the opening scenarios. Tanks rolled through the streets of Taichung, military ships departed ports, and combat helicopters flew over the west coast. Reservists positioned themselves on beaches along the Taiwan Strait, and air raid sirens sounded. The exercises involved soldiers, reservists, and civilian authorities simulating missile attacks, cyber attacks, and port defense.

Danjiang Bridge defense drill

On the second day, troops practiced defending the Danjiang Bridge, which opened earlier this year and crosses the entrance to the Tamsui River leading to Taipei. The bridge, located in New Taipei, is the world's longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge and spans nearly one kilometer. During the late-night exercise, engineering soldiers used cranes and trucks to deploy concrete and steel barriers, barbed wire, and sandbag positions along the span. They also placed nets in the water, floating platforms, and barrels that could be filled with explosives to block Chinese vessels from accessing the river. The goal was to slow advancing enemy troops and channel them into zones where Taiwanese forces would have greater firepower. Cyclists and pedestrians continued to pass through the unblocked portion of the bridge while troops worked, and onlookers gathered at the edges in the humid evening air to watch the maneuvers.

Strategic significance

Chieh Chung, a researcher at Taiwan's Institute for National Defence and Security Research and a defense policy expert at Tamkang University, observed the drills and explained the bridge's critical role. If an invading force seized and kept the Danjiang Bridge open, it could quickly move troops and supplies across the river, entering Taipei's outer perimeter from beachheads along Taiwan's northern coast, which are most suitable for a large-scale amphibious landing.

If the Danjiang Bridge remains open, its main forces could quickly cross it to reach the northern bank of the Tamsui River and then move into Taipei itself.

The objective is simply to prevent PLA forces from taking control of this sector on the river, because if they had control of this zone, the two landing points would be connected, forming a single entity.

The exercise did not simulate a full closure of the bridge but allowed the military to gather data on how quickly engineers could deploy obstacles and what resources would be required to seal the crossing in wartime. The bridge exercise was expected to conclude Friday morning.

Shifting threat landscape

China regards Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to bring it under its control by force if necessary. The island of 23 million has been outside Beijing's control since 1949. Beyond a direct amphibious invasion, China now possesses a range of options including naval blockades, missile strikes on port infrastructure, cyber attacks, and economic sanctions. Chinese aircraft regularly enter Taiwan's air defense zone, and warships patrol near the island. Taiwan has adopted a so-called "porcupine strategy," recognizing it cannot win an arms race against a far larger opponent. Bloomberg reports that Beijing is also targeting the island's political resilience to convince citizens that resistance to unification is futile, long before any missile is fired. Separately, Taiwan has cracked down on Chinese companies attempting to recruit its technology talent, according to Le Monde.