Taiwan’s presidential office held a “tabletop” exercise on Thursday simulating military escalations by China, a first-of-its-kind drill involving government agencies beyond the armed forces that highlights Taipei’s urgency in ensuring preparedness against an increasingly assertive Beijing.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence reported the presence of seven Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels near its territory. China crossed the median line into Taiwan's ADIZ. Japan and NATO expressed concerns about China's military activities and its increasing influence,

China, which views Lai as a separatist, held major military exercises around Taiwan following his inauguration in May and his National Day speech in October. It also held a major drill after Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan in 2022.

Taiwan aims to involve a range of people, including taxi drivers and security guards, to respond to emergencies.

Taiwan’s presidential office conducted its first-ever "tabletop" exercises involving government agencies without military participation. The goal was to simulate a military escalation with China amid fresh threats from Beijing,