Politics
Taiwan Warns China Can ‘Paralyze’ Island’s Defenses in Conflict
By and- More alarming tone in annual assessment of Chinese military
- Warning will likely fuel calls in Washington for more support
Taiwan warned that China could “paralyze” its defenses in a conflict, a stark new assessment expected to fuel calls in Washington for more support for the democratically ruled island.
China is able to neutralize Taiwan’s air-and-sea defenses and counter-attack systems with “soft and hard electronic attacks,” Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in an annual report to lawmakers seen by Bloomberg News. The document offered a more alarming assessment than last year’s report, which had said China still lacked the capability to launch an assault.
While Beijing isn’t believed to possess the transport and logistical capacity necessary for an invasion of Taiwan’s large and mountainous main island, the ministry recommended monitoring Chinese efforts to expand training and preparations for complex landing operations. China already has the ability to seize Taiwan’s surrounding islands, it said.
The ministry said the report speaks for itself and declined further comment.
Policy makers in the U.S. and Japan have expressed growing concern about Taiwan’s vulnerability to attack after decades of Chinese military investment and President Xi Jinping’s efforts to ramp up pressure on the island’s government. The Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territory, even though it has never controlled it, and has threatened military force to prevent the leadership in Taipei from moving toward formal independence
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