Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercise has ended, with President Lai Ching-te announcing plans to speed up the development of unmanned weapons and to build a domestic defence supply chain — positive news for Taiwan's defence capabilities and its defence industry.

• The Han Kuang No. 42 exercise, which ran for 10 days and 9 nights, concluded today, mobilising the armed forces, reservists, the Coast Guard, police and fire services, and local governments to train together.
• Lai Ching-te said this exercise incorporated more advanced equipment and unmanned systems for the first time, and tested a range of the latest training subjects.
• The government aims to accelerate the development, manufacturing and application of unmanned systems, drawing on Taiwan's strengths in information and communications technology, semiconductors and precision manufacturing.
• The goal is to build a more complete and more resilient defence supply chain, while at the same time driving the growth of Taiwan's defence industry.

Outlook: Taiwan will continue to invest funding and technology in unmanned weapons and its domestic defence industry, strengthening its capacity for self-defence in the face of pressure from China.