Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te pledged to bolster national defense and societal resilience in response to China's recent large-scale military drills. Lai emphasized the urgency of strengthening capabilities and passing defense budgets, stating Taiwan cannot afford internal strife amidst China's military ambitions. The drills, which included rocket launches and incursions into Taiwan's contiguous zone, were described by Beijing as punishment for perceived US-Taiwan collusion. This follows a significant US arms sale to Taiwan and continued pressure from China since Lai took office.