Taiwan's president handed out military awards on Armed Forces Day, a routine ceremony that doubles as a signal of readiness as Chinese warplanes keep probing the island's airspace.

• President Lai Ching-te led the annual Armed Forces Day and national defense education ceremony at the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei.
• The top honoree was Wu Chih-chien, an air force missile company commander who operates Taiwan's homegrown Sky Bow III air defense missiles.
• Chinese military aircraft have kept up incursions near Taiwan, and the missile units say their crews are trained and on combat alert.
• An army assault helicopter unit was named a model team, partly for flying disaster relief during Typhoon Ragasa.
• Recruiting was another theme, with awards going to soldiers who pitch military careers on campuses and to the public.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep pairing these public honors with steady air defense drills as Chinese air activity around the island continues.