KEY POINTS
- Taiwan’s foreign minister warned that China appears to be preparing for a war against the island
- Foreign Minister Joseph Wu expressed confidence in the Taiwanese military’s preparations
- Several U.S. officials suggested that China could possibly invade Taiwan by 2025 or 2027
Taiwan’s top diplomat has expressed concern that China’s recent military drills around the self-ruled island could be a prelude to a full-scale war.
In an interview with CNN, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned about the increasing Chinese aggression against Taiwan.
“Look at the military exercises, and also their rhetoric, they seem to be trying to get ready to launch a war against Taiwan,” Wu said.
Wu said that the Taiwanese government viewed the latest Chinese military activities across the Taiwan Strait as “something that cannot be accepted, and we condemn it.”
When asked if Taiwan has any sense of when China could launch an attack, the foreign minister expressed confidence in their military’s capability to defend the island.
“Chinese leaders will think twice before they decide to use force against Taiwan. And no matter whether it is 2025 or 2027 or even beyond, Taiwan simply needs to get ready,” Wu said.
In recent months, several U.S. officials have suggested that China is gearing up for a potential full-scale attack on the island.
William Burns, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), warned that a U.S. intelligence report showed that Chinese President Xi Jinping had already instructed the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to prepare for a possible invasion of Taiwan by 2027.
However, Burns noted that it doesn’t mean Xi has already decided to attack the self-governing island in 2027.
Four-star Gen. Mike Minihan, the head of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, also suggested that China could sneak an attack against Taiwan by 2025 when the U.S. is in the middle of a presidential election.
In January, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin downplayed speculations of an imminent Chinese attack against Taiwan.
Austin said the U.S. is aware of increased Chinese military activities in the Taiwan Strait, but he added, “Whether or not that means that an invasion is imminent, you know, I seriously doubt that.”
Tensions between China and Taiwan flared up anew in recent days after Beijing conducted its three-day large-scale military exercises across the strait.
Dubbed “Joint Sword,” the Chinese military drills simulated several scenarios, such as sealing off Taiwan and striking key targets on the island.
According to the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, China mobilized its warplanes, naval ships and military personnel into the “maritime areas and air space” around Taiwan.
During the course of the military exercises, tens of Chinese warplanes breached Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), forcing the island to dispatch its combat planes and naval vessels to respond.
The Chinese military conducted its activities in response to the meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Taiwan split from mainland China in 1949 after a bloody civil war. Since then, China has not recognized the island’s independence.
