Large-scale military exercises staged in northern China last month have provided evidence that China is increasing its military strength, Taiwanese military officials said yesterday.
"The exercise, held between Oct. 13 and Oct. 16, reflects China's efforts in preparing for future high-tech warfare," said Admiral Miao Yung-ching (
"If China's military continues its build-up, its potential threat to Taiwan will become stronger and stronger."
Miao said the exercises demonstrated China's considerable improvement in combat capabilities and hardware.
"It indicates that China is determined to narrow the gap with Western countries in military strength, via a high-tech arms build-up," he said.
The PLA's hardware improvements include the combined use of new weapons, computer networks and a long-distance tele-conferencing system, Miao said.
Miao made the statements yesterday as he delivered a report on China's exercises last month to the legislature's defense committee.
Miao delivered the report on behalf of Chief of the General Staff General Tang Yao-ming (
Yesterday's defense report was rare, as Taiwan's military seldom comments on its observations of the PLA. In the past, the military has refused to talk too much in order to protect its intelligence sources.
In his report, Miao highlighted several key points.
"The PLA used for the first time a long-distance tele-conferencing system to monitor minor drills held in three different locations -- including Manchuria, inner Mongolia and the Bohai sea -- from the exercise's command center," Miao said.
Miao also said that including Manchuria and Bohai in the exercises indicated that China was strengthening its defense of Beijing and the surrounding region, acting upon the fear that the capital city could come under enemy attack.
"The exercise also carries a message to foreign countries that China has the ability to fend off foreign forces [that may intervene in an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait]," he added.
In response to an increasing military threat from China, Miao said, Taiwan's military will seek to develop joint operation capabilities in the future.
"We will prioritize information warfare, electronic warfare, control of the air, control of the sea and anti-amphibious landing in our future arms build-up," he said. "Starting from next year, information warfare and electronic warfare will become our priorities."
But KMT Legislator Chou Cheng-chih (
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