Beijing is developing a variety of "credible military options" to prevent Taiwan from achieving independence, including tools to discourage the US from coming to the Taipei's aid in a conflict with China, the US Department of Defense warned in a new report.
They have been fueled lately by President Chen Shui-bian's (
According to the Pentagon survey, Chinese political leaders as well as commanders of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are not remaining idle in the face of these challenges.
"The PLA's offensive capabilities improve each year and provide Beijing with an increasing number of credible options to intimidate and actually attack Taiwan," the department said in its annual report on China's military might sent to Congress at the end of the week.
China's arsenal arrayed against Taiwan includes approximately 500 short-range ballistic missiles deployed in Nanjing military district.
If equipped with adequate guidance systems, these missiles could destroy key leadership facilities, military bases and communication and transportation nodes with minimal advanced warning, Pentagon analysts point out.
Some of these weapons are believed to be capable of hitting US military bases in Okinawa.
Taiwan still maintains a qualitative edge over China in air power, boasting three times as many modern so-called "fourth-generation" fighter jets as China. But Beijing is working hard to close the gap.
China's air force now has nearly 3,400 aircraft, and its share of fourth-generation planes, mainly Su-27 and Su-30 fighter-bombers purchased from Russia, is increasing steadily, the report pointed out.
"Over the next several years, given current trends, China most likely will be able to cause significant damage to all of Taiwan's airfields and quickly degrade its ground-based air defenses and associated command and control," the document warned.
Ground forces targeting Tai-wan include three army groups in Nanjing that include a plethora of special operations units.
But the Pentagon believes Bei-jing would have trouble mounting a D-Day-style invasion of Taiwan "throughout the remainder of the decade" primarily because of its lack of a credible amphibious lift capability.
Chinese military planners believe the US will likely come to Taiwan's rescue in case of its showdown with China, according to the report. To counter US aid, the Chinese military are likely to use naval mines, submarine and cruise missile to attack a US aircraft carrier.
It may even resort to high-altitude nuclear blasts in the hope that its electromagnetic effects would interrupt communications and jam radars, the Pentagon warned.
The report contains sharp criticism of Taiwan's army, which it says "has major shortcomings in training and reservist mobiliza-tion." Naval operations "are not well integrated with those of the army and air force, and multi-mission training is infrequent," it said.
The report is like to spark calls for larger US military assistance to Taiwan in Congress.
A pro-Taiwan amendment has already been introduced in a US$422.2 billion defense authorization bill that passed the House of Representatives earlier this month. The amendment, sponsored by Representative Jim Ryun, calls for senior military officer exchanges with Taipei.
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