President Lai Inspects Han Kuang Wargames, States Peace Relies on Strength, Not Paper Agreements
On April 14, 2026, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te inspected the 'Han Kuang No. 42' computer-assisted wargames, asserting that peace is secured through self-defense capabilities rather than formal agreements. He called for cross-party legislative support for a special defense budget to bolster these capabilities. The exercise, held from April 11 to 24, is designed to simulate extreme battlefield conditions and integrates concepts of whole-of-society defense resilience and asymmetric warfare.
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- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 13:34
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 14:01 (27 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 14, 2026 at 14:09 (7 min after Collected)
Taipei, April 14 (CNA) - President Lai Ching-te today inspected the 'Han Kuang No. 42' computer wargames, stating that exercises should be based on realistic combat standards, integrating whole-of-society defense resilience and asymmetric warfare thinking to continuously enhance the armed forces' response capabilities and overall deterrence. He emphasized that peace is not achieved through a paper agreement but through one's own strength, and called on the legislature to support a special defense budget across party lines to strengthen self-defense capabilities.
The Han Kuang No. 42 computer-assisted command post exercise involves a 14-day, 13-night wargaming simulation from April 11 to 24.
In a social media post, the President mentioned his visit to the Joint Operations Command Center to understand the status of the exercise and to thank the service members for their round-the-clock efforts in protecting national sovereignty and peace.
The President encouraged commanders at all levels to identify deficiencies and problems with the mindset that an exercise is equivalent to actual combat, in order to continuously strengthen their fighting power. He stated that simulating the most extreme battlefield environments and complex threat scenarios is necessary to build the strongest response capabilities.
He noted that this year's wargames incorporate the concept of whole-of-society defense resilience, aiming to improve civil-military collaboration and ensure the military implements principles of 'new training, new thinking, new equipment, and new technology' to build asymmetric combat power and enhance deterrence.
He affirmed that while peace is a shared expectation, it is achieved through strength, not agreements. Only by enhancing self-defense capabilities can true peace be secured.
The President stated that as Commander-in-Chief, his administration has a duty and responsibility to promote and support a special defense budget for the military. He expressed hope that the legislature would support the government's comprehensive plan without cuts and pass the budget swiftly, noting that it has over 70% public support and will build a 'Shield of Taiwan'.
The Han Kuang No. 42 computer-assisted command post exercise involves a 14-day, 13-night wargaming simulation from April 11 to 24.
In a social media post, the President mentioned his visit to the Joint Operations Command Center to understand the status of the exercise and to thank the service members for their round-the-clock efforts in protecting national sovereignty and peace.
The President encouraged commanders at all levels to identify deficiencies and problems with the mindset that an exercise is equivalent to actual combat, in order to continuously strengthen their fighting power. He stated that simulating the most extreme battlefield environments and complex threat scenarios is necessary to build the strongest response capabilities.
He noted that this year's wargames incorporate the concept of whole-of-society defense resilience, aiming to improve civil-military collaboration and ensure the military implements principles of 'new training, new thinking, new equipment, and new technology' to build asymmetric combat power and enhance deterrence.
He affirmed that while peace is a shared expectation, it is achieved through strength, not agreements. Only by enhancing self-defense capabilities can true peace be secured.
The President stated that as Commander-in-Chief, his administration has a duty and responsibility to promote and support a special defense budget for the military. He expressed hope that the legislature would support the government's comprehensive plan without cuts and pass the budget swiftly, noting that it has over 70% public support and will build a 'Shield of Taiwan'.