 "Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration. Reuters")
A top US admiral on Wednesday told the US House Armed Services Committee that China is building its military and nuclear arsenal on a scale not seen since World War II and all signs suggest it’s sticking to ambitions to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.
According to a Bloomberg report, Admiral John Aquilino, the leader of the Indo-Pacific Command, in a prepared testimony said that China’s defence budget has increased by 16 per cent over recent years to more than $223 billion.
The report comes as Taiwan on Thursday detected 32 Chinese military aircraft around the island in a 24-hour window — the second-highest number this year.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said in the 24 hours leading up to 6.00 am today, it also detected five naval ships operating around Taiwan.
Twenty of the aircraft “crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait”, it added in a statement.
Taiwan’s armed forces have “monitored the situation and employed (patrol) aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities”, statement added.
Aquilino said since he took command three years ago, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has added more than 400 fighter aircraft, along with more than 20 major warships and also doubled its inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles since 2020.
“All indications point to the PLA meeting President Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027,” Bloomberg quoted Aquilino as saying. “The PLA’s actions indicate their ability to meet Xi’s preferred time-line to unify Taiwan with mainland China by force if directed,” he added.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAquilino said the Chinese military has been practicing a range of maneuvers associated with potential actions against Taiwan, including rehearsals of encirclement tactics involving maritime and air blockades.
Debates among US lawmakers, officials, and military figures have intensified regarding Xi Jinping’s intentions regarding Taiwan, particularly in light of his goal for China’s military to achieve “world-class” status by 2027. Almost a year ago, Aquilino testified that speculation abounds regarding the Chinese military’s strategies.
Meanwhile, the US intelligence community assesses that China doesn’t want a military conflict over Taiwan, even as it’s determined to bring the self-governed island under its control.
China’s “unprecedented level of defence spending is paying off,” Bloomberg quoted Representative Mike Rogers, the Alabama Republican who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, as saying.
“The PLA is fielding modern systems like hypersonic weapons and fifth-generation fighters. They can project power well into the Pacific with a 340 ship navy that includes a new aircraft carrier and nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines,” he added.
China’s partnership with Russia is also troubling as China has provided Russian president Vladimir Putin with economic and security assistance for the invasion of Ukraine, Rogers said.
China’s partnership with Russia is a response to US alliances in the Pacific region and elsewhere.
“It should be concerning to the whole globe,” Aquilino said.
With inputs from agencies