Mike Baker

The goal is to convince Beijing that the cost of an invasion would be so severe that the operation would become far less attractive before it ever begins.

Now, Taipei understands it can't compete with China ship for ship or aircraft for aircraft or missile for missile.

So instead, Taiwan is building its defense around what military planners call asymmetric warfare.

The concept is straightforward.

Use smaller, highly mobile weapons capable of inflicting outsized damage on a larger adversary.

Make every beach landing harder, troop movements riskier, and every invasion plan more expensive, often referred to as a porcupine defense.

Now, the island has already received approval from the Trump administration in December to purchase 82 additional HIMARS launchers and related equipment in a deal that's worth about $4 billion.

Included in that package are 420 Army tactical missile systems, which would significantly expand Taiwan's strike range.

And while today's exercise involved rockets fired at targets less than six miles offshore, some of the missiles Taiwan plans to field can reach the Chinese mainland.

Not surprisingly, Beijing has taken notice.

China repeatedly criticizes American arms sales to Taiwan and has increasingly singled out HIMARS in its own military messaging.

During a major Chinese military exercise around Taiwan last year, a state broadcaster aired footage depicting artillery targeting HIMARS launchers.

In other words, China's military is already thinking about how to destroy these systems before they can be used.

Still, Chinese officials dismissed this week's exercises.

Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office called the drills, quote, nothing more than putting on an act and bluffing to embolden themselves, end quote.

But China wasn't the only audience watching these drills.

Washington, of course, was watching as well.

And that matters because Taiwan's future defense plans remain closely tied to American support.

President Trump has not yet approved a proposed $14 billion arms package for Taiwan and has suggested that military assistance remains part of a negotiating relationship with Beijing.

The administration has sought to maintain a relatively conciliatory tone toward China while pursuing talks on a range of economic and security issues.