Senior Taipei Official Says China Is Building A Capacity To Attack Taiwan

Taiwanese missile destroyer ROCS Kelelung (DDG-1801) overshadowed China's Shandong (CV-17) aircraft carrier in the Philippine Sea in September 2023. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of National Defense_

JAKARTA - China is building its capacity to turn military exercises into massive attacks quickly, a senior Taiwanese security official said, giving the Taipei Government an assessment of the strategic intent behind the Bamboo Curtain country's war games around their territory this week.

China, which views democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, held a large-scale exercise on Monday which it said was a warning against " separatist actions" following last week's National Day address by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

Taiwan has for the past five years complained of China's nearly daily military activity around the island, including at least four rounds of major war games and a regular "coupling combat readiness patrol".

"They are increasing the development of their capacity to turn military exercises into conflict," the official said at a briefing in Taipei, asking for anonymity to speak more openly.

Taiwan reported a record 153 Chinese aircraft taking part in the drills, and the official added 25 naval vessels and Chinese coast guard also approached Taiwan's 24-mile (39 km) adjacent zone.

"They are approaching Taiwan very close. They are increasing their pressure on Taiwan and shortening Taiwan's response time," the official said.

"This exercise presents a greater threat than ever before to Taiwan," he added.

The official said during the exercise, China launched two missiles into an unnamed hinterland, without providing further details.

"Although they did not fire missiles at Taiwan this time, they are training to launch missiles," the official said.

China's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Monday, they promised to take further action as needed against Taiwan.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said Beijing would never commit to halting the use of force over Taiwan.

Taiwan officials say their own intelligence has detected signs of previous Chinese military exercises and deployed a number of assets including missile launchers moving into a number of strategic locations before Beijing announced the war games around the early hours of Monday.

President Lai and his administration rejected Beijing's claim to sovereignty by saying only the Taiwanese could decide on their future. President Lai has repeatedly offered talks, but he has been rejected by China.

In a report to parliament on Thursday, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said China is currently holding three to four "coupling combat readiness patrols" per month around Taiwan, in a move described by the ministry as "provocation and increasing threats to our military".

Separately, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo, when asked when China could hold the next war games, told reporters the drills could be done at any time and under any pretext.

"This shows their hegemonic nature, which we can all see very clearly," said Defense Minister Koo.

The military has included a plan, in Han Kuang's annual war games, of ways to counter the compact response times if China suddenly turns its drills into real attacks, he added.

A diplomat based in Taipei who understands the security issues in the region said Beijing's war games present a "big threat" as through the exercise, the Chinese military quickly built its mobilization and combat capabilities.

"The condition of permanent readiness is getting higher, they can move from doing nothing to war games in no time," said the diplomat, who asked for his identity to be kept secret due to the sensitivity of the matter.