The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as of October had doubled the number of ships and airplanes deployed around Taiwan compared with the previous two years, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said yesterday, a day after the opposition-controlled legislature voted against reviewing the government’s general budget for next year, including a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.71 billion) special defense spending bill.
The legislature’s vote against the Ministry of National Defense’s spending plans was regrettable, as the budget was designed to respond to the developing Chinese military threat, Hsu said on the sidelines of a legislative meeting on the general budget.
Defense spending, be it part of a regular or special budget, is important, as it shows that the nation is willing to defend itself and fufill its responsibility to regional stability, he said.
Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times
Deferring the review of special budget means the government has been deprived of allotments for asymmetric warfare development and training, as well as funding for the whole-of-society defense resiliency program, he said.
Lawmakers from across the political divide should support adding the defense budget to the agenda of the Procedure Committee, he said, adding that the ministry is open to discussion and oversight regarding the bill.
Asked about a Pentagon report that stated China would achieve the capability to successfully invade Taiwan by 2027, Hsu said that the document noted that China would be able to strike all US bases on the first island chain by then.
The highlight of the report was that the PLA’s capabilities are rising to the point where it could target US forces and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, introducing a new variable to its potential ability to defeat Taiwan, he said.
The report is a reminder of the nation’s urgent need to bolster its defenses, Hsu said.
The congressionally mandated report, which was posted on the Pentagon’s Web site on Tuesday, is the first of the second administration of US President Donald Trump.
It described a Chinese military that is increasingly sophisticated and resilient, wary of large-scale agreements with the US and learning lessons from Russia’s setbacks in Ukraine as it increases pressure on Taiwan.
Even as China and Russia deepen their strategic partnership, “almost certainly driven by a shared interest in countering the United States,” cooperation is hindered by both sides harboring a “mutual distrust” of each other, the report said.
China’s “large and growing arsenal” of nuclear, maritime, conventional long-range strike, cyber and space capabilities are able to “directly threaten America’s security,” it said.
China’s stockpile of nuclear warheads was in the low 600s through last year, a slower rate of production compared with previous years, it said, without explaining what might have caused the slowdown.
The report highlighted the PLA’s progress toward its 2027 targets — the first stage in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) strategy for military modernization.
It describes the goals as achieving “strategic decisive victory” over Taiwan, “strategic counterbalance” against the US, and “strategic deterrence and control” against other regional countries.
“In other words, China expects to be able to fight and win a war on Taiwan by the end of 2027,” the report said, adding that the PLA is refining multiple military options to “force Taiwan unification by brute force.”
Its options range from an amphibious invasion to a maritime blockade, it said.
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