{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1795919,
        "msgid": "taiwan-fires-himars-rockets-towards-china-for-the-first-time-1781092229",
        "date": "2026-06-10 17:39:00",
        "title": "Taiwan Fires HIMARS Rockets Towards China for the First Time",
        "author": "Wisnu Arto Subari",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "Taiwan's military has test-fired HIMARS rockets towards mainland China for the first time during exercises near Taichung, marking a significant escalation in its asymmetric defence strategy. Analysts suggest the drill sends a strong symbolic signal of Taiwan's resolve and counter-strike capability to Beijing. The exercise comes amid complex geopolitical manoeuvring, including a recent US suspension of an arms package for Taiwan.",
        "content": "<p>Taiwan\u2019s military has taken a bold step by firing dozens of rockets\nfrom a US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) towards\nChina for the first time. The action was conducted on Wednesday (10\/6)\nas part of a two-day military exercise centred around the city of\nTaichung in central Taiwan. The drills took place along a 12-mile\nstretch of coastline known as \u2018Red Beach\u2019, a coastal area considered the\nmost likely landing point for an invasion by Chinese forces. The use of\nHIMARS in this simulation marks a significant shift in Taiwan\u2019s strategy\nof demonstrating strength to Beijing. The HIMARS is one of the most\ncritical assets in Taiwan\u2019s arsenal and a primary pillar of its\nasymmetric defence strategy, often referred to as the \u2018porcupine\nstrategy\u2019. This doctrine aims to deter China\u2019s much larger forces by\nrelying on mobile, lower-cost, but lethal weapons systems. In addition\nto the HIMARS, the Taiwanese military also deployed its domestically\nproduced Thunderbolt-2000 rocket system, US-made Paladin howitzers, and\nguided anti-tank missiles. Although the 32 rockets tested on Wednesday\nhad a maximum range of only about nine miles, Taiwan is known to possess\nlong-range munitions capable of reaching the Chinese mainland. William\nYang, a senior analyst for Northeast Asia at Crisis Group, assessed that\nthe decision to test the HIMARS from the western coast aimed at China\ncarries very strong symbolic meaning. \u2018This sends a very firm signal to\nBeijing regarding Taiwan\u2019s resolve and progress in enhancing its\ncounter-strike capabilities against China,\u2019 he said. The timing of the\nexercise is under scrutiny as it occurs less than a month after Donald\nTrump\u2019s meeting with Xi Jinping in China, where Trump reportedly\nmentioned Taiwan as a bargaining chip. Shortly thereafter, the US\ngovernment suspended a US$14 billion weapons package to Taiwan, citing\nthe need to conserve ammunition for the conflict in Iran. Meanwhile, the\nTrump administration continues to push Taiwan to increase its defence\nbudget to 3 per cent of GDP by 2026 and 5 per cent by 2030. Last May,\nTaiwan\u2019s legislature finally approved a defence package worth NT$18.5\nbillion, or approximately Rp445 trillion, although the figure was lower\nthan the initial proposal from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.\nBy the end of 2026, Taiwan is expected to receive an additional 18\nHIMARS systems, supplementing the first batch of 11 units that arrived\nat the end of 2024. This strengthening of military hardware is crucial\namid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/taiwan-fires-himars-rockets-towards-china-for-the-first-time-1781092229",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}