Taiwan's annual military exercise, Han Kuang, begins on Wednesday as the island ramps up its defence against a possible invasion from China. Billed as the largest and longest one so far, this year's Han Kuang will last for about 10 days, about twice the duration of last year's drill.

This year’s live-fire drills will last until July 18 in response to escalating Chinese threats. The exercise will be conducted without a scripted scenario and in a continuous, uninterrupted format, making it the longest Han Kuang drill in history, CNA reported.

Col. Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, said Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party is exploiting the exercise to get Taiwan residents on board its "Taiwan Independence" war chariot, the Chinese state-supported Global Times reported.