China could use force to push Taiwan into unification or into unification dialogue, the Pentagon said in its annual military report on China issued on Thursday.
In the report submitted to the US Congress, the Pentagon said that China is likely to pursue a measured approach by demonstrating its readiness to use force or take punitive actions against Taiwan.
“The PLA [Chinese People’s Liberation Army] could also conduct a more comprehensive campaign designed to force Taiwan to capitulate to unification, or unification dialogue, under China’s terms,” the report said.
Photo: Reuters
Taiwan remains the PLA’s main strategic direction and serves as one of the geographic areas Beijing identifies as having strategic importance, it said.
“China’s overall strategy toward Taiwan continues to incorporate elements of both persuasion and coercion to hinder the development of political attitudes in Taiwan favoring independence,” the Pentagon said.
However, the analysis appeared to downplay prospects for a large-scale amphibious invasion, saying that it could strain China’s armed forces and invite international intervention.
It also noted the possibility of limited missile strikes.
“China could use missile attacks and precision airstrikes against air defense systems, including air bases, radar sites, missiles, space assets and communications facilities, to degrade Taiwan’s defenses, neutralize Taiwan’s leadership or break the Taiwan people’s resolve,” the report said.
Taiwan has much smaller military capabilities than China and the gap is growing, it added.
According to its estimate, China has 2,600 fighter jets, including 1,100 fighter trainers, while Taiwan has only 450.
China also has 450 transport planes, 450 bombers and 150 special mission aircraft, while Taiwan deploys only 30 transport planes and 30 special mission aircraft, and has no bombers, the Pentagon said.
While China speaks of peaceful unification, its government has never given up the use of force as an option and continues to develop and deploy advanced military capabilities, paving the way for a potential military campaign to increase pressure on Taipei, the report said.
In the event of a protracted conflict, China might resort to escalating cyberspace, space or nuclear activities, it said, adding that it might alternatively choose to fight to a standstill and pursue a political solution.
The Pentagon said that the US supports a peaceful resolution of Taiwan-China issues, and under the Taiwan Relations Act, would contribute to peace, security and stability in the Taiwan Strait by providing defense articles and services to help Taiwan maintain adequate self-defense capability.
It added that “Taiwan has stated that it is working to develop new concepts and capabilities for asymmetric warfare.”
Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) said in Taipei that the ministry would continue its observations and called on Taiwanese to trust in the military’s resolve and confidence to protect the nation.
The military would treat President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) comment that “not an inch of sovereign land will be yielded, nor will we abandon our democracy and liberties” as its prime directive and would establish training regimens accordingly, Chen added.
Additional reporting by Reuters and staff writer
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
PAPERS, PLEASE: The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’ The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup. A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said. Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s
RSS