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

Taiwan's newly acquired HIMARS and Abrams tanks would raise the costs of a Chinese amphibious landing, a defense analyst says.

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

This year’s 10-day live-fire Han Kuang drills are the longest yet and follow the delivery of a range of new weaponry from tanks to waterborne drones. The drills in Taiwan come as regional tensions and harassment by China and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are increasing.

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.

The Han Kuang exercises entered their third day, with some units setting up defensive structures and others diverted to assist in actual disaster relief efforts in the south.

The annual 10-day Han Kuang exercise will test Taiwan’s ability to respond to a Chinese attack on its command structure.