Taiwan launches its largest ever military drills on Wednesday, starting with simulated attacks on its command systems and infrastructure ahead of a Chinese invasion, senior defense officials said.

The early stages of the annual Han Kuang exercises will focus on testing how Taiwan’s military can decentralize command in the event of a crippling communications attack. Over the next 10 days, the drills will expand to assess Taiwan's combat readiness against a full-scale attempt to seize the island.

"We are learning from the situation in Ukraine in recent years and realistically thinking about what Taiwan might face ... in real combat," said one senior defense official, highlighting the need to protect command and communication systems.