The exercise ran from its announced 5 August start, the date set out in the Ministry of National Defense calendar reported by Reuters (28 Jul 2026), with Taiwanese monitoring recording Chinese information operations during Han Kuang before 10 August.
The Han Kuang market resolves YES if Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense confirms the exercise commenced on 5 August 2026; a delayed or cancelled start resolves NO. MND announcements via Taipei Times or Focus Taiwan.
None of the last five Han Kuang drills drew a named Chinese exercise. We looked at the named exercises China's army has run around Taiwan since 2022 and asked what set each one off. Each came after a political moment in Taipei, such as a speech or a visit, and none after Taiwan's own training calendar. The four exercises below are those named campaigns. The five Han Kuang drills are a separate count.