Taiwan’s defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said mainland China would have the ability to mount a full-scale invasion of Taiwan by 2025, warning of the risk of a cross-strait conflict as tensions mount in the Taiwan Strait, with Beijing sending 150 warplanes to ramp up pressure on the island in the past few days.

“It is the toughest situation I have seen in more than 40 years of my military life,” Chiu said in a legislature session on the recent spike in sorties by PLA warplanes to the island’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

He said by 2025, Beijing would be able to keep the cost of such conflict at a minimum, meaning it would have the “full ability” to start a war, but it needed to consider various factors before doing so.

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Beijing, which considers Taiwan its territory and vows to take it under control, by force if necessary, has stepped up military intimidation against the island by sending 150 warplanes, including fighter jets and bombers, to the island’s air defence zone since Friday.

While most of the warplanes flew into the southwest of the island’s air defence zone, some headed to the southeast part of the zone which posed an even bigger threat to Taiwan because of its proximity to the self-ruled island’s military zone in eastern Taiwan. The PLA has also sent nighttime sorties, a rarity after it sent warplanes to harass the island almost every day in the past year.

Asked by legislators about Beijing’s ability to attack Taiwan on all fronts, Chiu said: “The Chinese Communists already have the ability to do so now, but they need to think about the cost and consequence of starting a war.”

The United States, Taiwan’s main military supplier, has confirmed its “rock-solid” commitment to Taiwan and also criticised China. Beijing blames Washington’s policies of supporting Taiwan with arms sales and sending warships through the Taiwan Strait for worsening tension.

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Taiwan and they agreed to abide by the Taiwan agreement.

“I’ve spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree… we’ll abide by the Taiwan agreement,” Biden said. “We made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement.”

Biden appeared to be referring to Washington’s long-standing one-China policy under which it officially recognises Beijing rather than Taipei, and the Taiwan Relations Act, which makes clear that the US decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing instead of Taiwan rests on the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/beijing-capable-taiwan-invasion-2025-051311770.html

Category: Taiwan