Taiwan's military holds defense exercises amid heightened tensions with China

Taipei — Air defense drills were held in Taiwan's capital Monday as the military mobilized for annual defense exercises being held throughout the week. 

Activity on the streets of Taipei ground to a halt in the early afternoon as police ordered pedestrians to seek shelter indoors, shops shuttered their doors, and vehicles were forced to pull over. 

The military's annual Han Kuang exercises will run through July 29, and include joint land, sea, and air exercises to test Taiwan's defense capabilities against China's much larger and rapidly growing armed forces. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, the growth of China's military budget has outpaced its overall economic growth for at least a decade.