TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Computer simulations for this year’s Han Kuang 40 military drills will be expanded to eight days and seven nights, reports said Wednesday (March 6).

Last year, the military spent five days and four nights on similar exercises, but rising tension with China and its aggressive posturing warranted this year’s longer period, the Liberty Times reported. Han Kuang 40 will address Beijing’s gray zone tactics, namely its efforts to achieve security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force.

According to a report that Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) was expected to present to the Legislative Yuan on Thursday (March 7), the simulations will emphasize defense capabilities, joint decision-making, and planning behavior by different levels of the military structure.

China has been using balloons, drones, and civilian ships to ramp up pressure on Taiwan, the military said. In response, Taiwan is working to improve its defense and monitoring of enemy movements.