Taiwan’s Most Powerful Tank with Live Ammunition Debut! “Precision Strikes” Deter China; Striking back at the People’s Liberation Army’s Rapid Combat Plan, Taiwan’s Military and Civilians Conduct Joint Exercises; Will China’s Public Security System be Cleansed? Two Ministers Simultaneously Dismissed.
On July 9, the Republic of China Armed Forces launched the “Han Kuang 41” live-fire drill. The 10-day drill is a significant annual military exercise of the Republic of China. On the second day of the exercise, the M1A2T tanks purchased by Taiwan from the United States conducted live ammunition training for the first time.
President Lai Ching-te personally inspected the “M1A2T New Tank Equipment Training” at the Hsinchu Kengtze Training Ground. Accompanied by National Security Council Secretary General Joseph Wu, Minister of National Defense Johnny Chiu, Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council David Lee, Army Commander Loh Kun-hsiu, Commander of the Third Operations Area Chen Wen-hsing, and Deputy Commanding General of the Training Command YU, Wen-cheng.
After receiving briefings, understanding equipment performance, and observing the live fire of the M1A2T tank, Lai Ching-te stated that this live-fire exercise was conducted in an “extreme training” manner, without a script, totally simulating real combat situations, allowing all brothers and sisters of the armed forces to demonstrate what they have learned in practice and realize Taiwan’s military strategy of “defend and deter.”
During the exercise, the M1A2T tanks fired a total of 19 12cm tank shells, all hitting the targets, demonstrating its precision firepower.
Lai Ching-te highly praised this, noting that the combat capability and mobility of the M1A2T tank are extremely strong, deserving the title of “the world’s most powerful tank.”
Lai Ching-te especially thanked the officers and soldiers of the 584th Brigade, acknowledging their high level of discipline and professionalism, whether they went to the United States for training or participated in intensive exercises upon returning to Taiwan. He hoped that these advanced tanks could be combined with drones and innovative tactics in the future to strengthen the overall defense capabilities of the country and achieve national strategic goals.
Lai Ching-te encouraged the armed forces, emphasizing that every additional minute of training would enhance the military strength by one more point, ensuring one more level of security for the nation, society, and people, and one more degree of peace and stability in the region; any training efforts would reflect achievements in the country, society, people, and the region, without a single iota of waste.
In addition to the M1A2T tanks, the Han Kuang exercise will also use the newly commissioned American Himars rocket system and Taiwan-made ground, anti-aircraft, and anti-ship missiles for training.
The Himars rocket system demonstrated its powerful strength in Ukraine’s defense against Russia in combat, as this wheeled rocket artillery can launch three types of ammunition, causing devastating strikes within a range of 64 to 300 kilometers.
Furthermore, also featured in the Han Kuang exercise is the “Tao” 2B anti-tank missile, which Taiwan ordered from the United States.
Su Hsiao-huang, Deputy Researcher at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, informed News Weekly that the Himars rocket system and M1A2T tanks would significantly enhance Taiwan’s military capabilities. He stated, “Their mobility, precision, and firepower are multiple times stronger than Taiwan’s current weapons.” With these weapons, the national army can strike at the invading Chinese Communist aggressors from further distances and with increased precision. Additionally, the military will deploy these new equipment assets in a dispersed manner to prevent them from being destroyed by Chinese long-range rockets and similar weapons.
Since Taiwan President Lai Ching-te defined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as an “external hostile force,” the national army has held the Han Kuang exercise for the first time. This exercise assumes a scenario where the “Chinese Communist Army advances into Taiwanese cities and towns,” focusing on how the military would resist, how civilians would evacuate, and how the government would coordinate.
According to BBC reports, Taiwan’s “Han Kuang Exercise” is unprecedented in scale, mobilizing the entire population to face the risks of war and is of strategic significance. This exercise has extended from the usual five days and four nights in previous years to “ten days and nine nights.” The exercise’s duration has set a record and is considered the “longest in history.”
Wang Hong-jen, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, stated that based on the intensity and scale of the exercise, Taiwan’s defense strategy has shifted from preparation for war to continuous engagement in battle. He explained that in the past, exercises emphasized deterring the Chinese Communist military on the front lines. That is, victory should be achieved before the Chinese Communist forces land. However, it has now progressed to actual combat. This implies that even if Chinese Communist forces land in Taiwanese cities and towns, the people and the military could continue to resist and sustain. This way, the Chinese Communists may not necessarily control the situations that follow, thereby raising the rational thinking costs for the Chinese Communist Party before initiating the war.
This exercise for the first time incorporates supermarkets, simulating evacuation and resource mobilization processes during wartime. Chieh Chung, a researcher at the Institute of Strategic Prospective, explained that during a formal war simulation, the military is responsible for combat, while local governments ensure rear security, taking on the task of caring for and accommodating displaced citizens. Only in this way can the exercise more closely resemble possible actual scenarios, allowing the military and local governments to understand whether their respective plans can support and coordinate with each other.
President Lai Ching-te stated that defending Taiwan has never been the sole responsibility of the military, but a manifestation of the will of the entire population.
Dr. Su Tzu-yun from National Defense and Security Research Institute of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense mentioned that before this, the Taiwanese government avoided discussing war, but through the exercise, it honestly tells the people about the crisis Taiwan faces. It guides the people to face threats healthily and showcases Taiwan’s people’s “defense will” to the international community through this exercise.
Overall, this exercise is no longer limited to military units but integrates local governments and civilian systems to comprehensively rehearse urban defense and life support.
The exercise includes a special “gray-zone operation” exercise lasting three days, simulating situations where China uses non-traditional means to harass Taiwan, including drones, cyberattacks, psychological warfare, legal warfare, etc. This is in response to China’s provocative “gray-zone” strategy in recent years.
Chieh Chung stated that previously, the Taiwan government viewed Chinese Communist “gray-zone behavior” separately from military actions to invade Taiwan, but recent actions by the Chinese Communist forces indicate that Beijing may use “gray-zone behavior” to disrupt the deployment of the Taiwanese national military for provocations, creating a situation where Taiwan is forced to fire first, seizing the opportunity to transition from exercises to a real conflict. Therefore, the Taiwanese military has planned immediate combat readiness exercises, including how the command system assesses the timing and orders the switching of monitoring forces to tactical locations, which is crucial for the current military.
Furthermore, the exercise mobilized 22,000 reservists, a 50% increase from the previous year, making it the largest scale in history.
It can be said that the Han Kuang exercise not only involves military training but also signals to the international community Taiwan’s message of “self-defense.” The Taiwanese government hopes that through this exercise, it can show that the people of Taiwan have the ability and determination to face the worst-case scenarios, affirming their commitment to protecting the country, instead of waiting passively for rescue.
Recently, there has been a significant personnel reshuffling in China’s Ministry of Public Security. Xinhua reported on July 9 that two deputy ministers of the Ministry of Public Security, Chen Siyuan and Sun Maoli, were dismissed simultaneously, with Yang Weilin from Guangxi replacing them as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Public Security.
Currently, Wang Xiaohong remains as the Minister of Public Security of the Ministry, and the dismissed Chen Siyuan and Sun Maoli worked under him for many years, being the core figures of the so-called “Wang Family Army.” On the other hand, Yang Weilin has no connection with Wang Xiaohong.
As a confidante of Xi Jinping, let’s review the career of Wang Xiaohong, Minister of the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China. Wang Xiaohong was Xi Jinping’s security chief while Xi was serving in Fujian Province. He was later transferred to Henan, then promoted to Beijing as the director of the Public Security Bureau, eventually becoming the Minister of Public Security in 2022, holding real power in the Public Security system. Analysts pointed out that after Wang Xiaohong gained control of the Ministry of Public Security, he vigorously cleaned out his predecessor’s old troops, appointing his people to key positions, known as the “Wang Family Army.”
The dismissed Chen Siyuan was once the trusted follower of Wang Xiaohong when he was the director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, while Sun Maoli had worked with Wang Xiaohong for many years after he effectively controlled the Ministry of Public Security.
The newly appointed deputy minister, Yang Weilin, born in 1968 in Jilin City, Jilin Province, had a long career in Jilin City, serving as the Deputy President of the Jilin Province Higher People’s Court, Chief of Changchun City Public Security Bureau, and Vice Mayor of Changchun City. In May 2023, he moved across provinces to serve as Vice Chairman of the Government and Director of the Public Security Department in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Looking at Yang Weilin’s resume, he lacks Wang Xiaohong’s background, serving as an “airborne force.”
Recent high-level personnel changes in the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China are occurring frequently. Apart from Chen Siyuan and Sun Maoli, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Public Security and Director of the Office, Hu Binchen, was reassigned two months ago to be the Vice-Governor and Director of the Public Security Department of Jiangsu Province.
Additionally, there are frequent adjustments at the local public security bureau level. For instance, in February this year, Wu Lan, then Secretary of the Benxi City Committee of Liaoning Province, was reassigned to become the Director of the Ningxia Public Security Department; in May, Chen Yuhuang, then Vice Mayor and Director of the Public Security Bureau of Xiamen City, Fujian Province, was transferred to be the Director of the Jilin Province Public Security Department; Hu Dapeng, then Vice Governor and Director of the Public Security Department of Yunnan Province, was reassigned to become a member of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. In July, Huang Ruixue, then Vice Governor and Director of the Public Security Department of Gansu Province, was transferred to be the Party Secretary of the Public Security Department of the Sichuan Provincial Government.
Current affairs commentator Li Linyi analyzed that the majority of local public security bureau directors are transferred from distant locations, indicating that the authorities are very afraid of these directors establishing their influence in one place for a long time. Presently, Wang Xiaohong’s core team members are gradually stepping down or being transferred to other regions. The new personnel entering the Ministry of Public Security or local public security high positions have not established close loyalty with Wang Xiaohong. The so-called “Wang Family Army” may not be as substantial as rumored. Moreover, in today’s changing political and economic landscape in China, from the central to local levels, public security departments are competing for power and profits, seeking ways to profit, which can easily lead to infighting due to unequal distribution, eventually resulting in internal strife.
Li Linyi pointed out that when it comes to human rights abuses, local public security officials are at the forefront, but there are also many discerning individuals among them, making their own plans or keeping escape routes. They have guns and are far from Beijing, so at critical moments, they may not necessarily obey Wang Xiaohong. If there are changes in the situation in the future, chances of clashes could also arise.
Li Linyi’s speculation is not baseless. On October 1 last year, a shooting incident occurred at Shaoyang City Public Security Bureau in Hunan Province, where Li Changyue, Vice Mayor and Chief of the Public Security Bureau of Shaoyang, was shot dead by his subordinate, Duan Feng. It was rumored that Li Changyue had long oppressed Duan Feng, preventing him from advancing in his career. Provoked by this, Duan Feng tragically killed Li Changyue.
However, exclusive disclosures obtained from within public security revealed by Big Epoch indicate that a business owner sponsored Duan Feng for bribing superiors to seek promotion. Duan Feng’s wife took money to give gifts to the bureau chief Li Changyue, who allegedly sexually assaulted her, leading to Duan Feng ultimately failing to secure a promotion. This incident eventually led to the tragic episode where Duan Feng carried out the shooting in anger.”