Taiwan's annual military exercise, Han Kuang, begins on Wednesday as the island ramps up its defence against a possible invasion from China. Billed as the largest and longest one so far, this year's Han Kuang will last for about 10 days, about twice the duration of last year's drill.

China has imposed export controls on eight companies tied to Taiwan’s military as the self-ruled island began annual military exercises.

Chen criticized the DPP administration for persisting in its stance on "Taiwan independence", inciting cross-Strait confrontation, wasting resources, and promoting a "militarization of the entire populace". He accused the administration of dragging the Taiwan people onto the "Taiwan independence" bandwagon, escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.