The Ministry of National Defense on Friday submitted this year’s report on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to the Legislative Yuan, outlining possible scenarios China could adopt if it launches a campaign against Taiwan.
China has stepped up military pressure over the past few years by deploying aircraft and warships for patrols around Taiwan, staging drone incursions and holding targeted exercises to demonstrate its ability to strike the nation, the ministry said.
China has also used “gray zone” tactics to blur battlefield boundaries and shorten response times, while sending carrier strike groups into the Western Pacific to showcase its anti-access/area-denial capabilities, it added.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
China’s posture is designed to maintain deterrence and create wartime readiness, it said.
On the possible timing of an attack, the ministry said that according to Article 8 of China’s “Anti-Secession” Law, Beijing could use “non-peaceful means” if “Taiwanese independence forces” cause separation, a major incident threatens a split, or peaceful unification is deemed impossible.
By comparison, the US Department of Defense’s 2024 China Military Power Report outlined six potential triggers: a formal independence declaration, other pro-independence actions, unrest in Taiwan, nuclear weapons acquisition, stalled unification talks, or foreign military intervention.
In its report, the ministry outlined four possible scenarios in which the PLA could escalate from training to actual combat: holding targeted drills near Taiwan and its outlying islands, even in restricted waters within 24 nautical miles (44.4km); carrying out regular patrols, long-range deployments and joint air-sea drills between the first and second island chains to simulate strikes on Taiwan’s military and infrastructure; declaring no-sail zones for live-fire or blockade exercises; and deploying coast guard and militia vessels to board, seize or obstruct ships near Taiwan’s ports.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS