Washington: China is building the military capability to seize Taiwan and aims to be ready for war by 2027, according to a U.S. Defence Department report submitted to Congress.
The report says the People’s Liberation Army has made “steady progress” toward its 2027 goals. One of those goals is the ability to achieve a “strategic decisive victory” over Taiwan.
China, the report says, aligns its military plans with those of the United States. The PLA views Washington as the “strong enemy” it must be able to defeat.
Beijing’s strategy on Taiwan has also evolved. The report says China no longer focuses only on deterring independence. Instead, it applies “near constant pressure” on Taipei to force unification on Beijing’s terms.
That pressure includes military activity, diplomacy, economic steps, and information campaigns. Together, these tools are meant to weaken Taiwan’s resistance.
During 2024, Chinese military activity around Taiwan increased sharply. The report says PLA aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone more than 3,000 times. This was nearly double the number recorded in 2023.
Chinese naval vessels also maintained a near-daily presence around the island. PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait centerline with growing frequency, eroding a long-standing informal boundary.
China carried out 38 joint combat readiness patrols around Taiwan in 2024. It also conducted two major military exercises — JOINT SWORD-2024A in May and JOINT SWORD-2024B in October.
These drills tested blockade operations and precision strikes. They also rehearsed coordination across air, naval, missile, cyber, and information forces.
For the first time, the China Coast Guard took part alongside the PLA. The report says this shows China’s growing ability to combine military and law-enforcement forces during a potential blockade.
The Pentagon outlines four options China could use to force unification. These include coercion short of war, missile and air strikes, a full blockade, and an amphibious invasion.
The invasion option is the most difficult. But the report says China continues to prepare for it.
In 2024, Chinese forces tested strikes on sea and land targets. They also practised blocking access to key ports. Some drills focused on countering U.S. forces in the region.
PLA strike capabilities could reach “1,500–2,000 nautical miles” from China’s mainland, the report says. Such a range could disrupt U.S. military operations in a conflict.
China’s military buildup is backed by rising defence spending and new technology. Since President Xi Jinping took power, China’s announced defence budget has nearly doubled.
The PLA is expanding work on artificial intelligence, hypersonic missiles, space systems, and cyber warfare.
The report also highlights China’s nuclear expansion. It says China’s warhead stockpile remained in the “low 600s” through 2024. But Beijing is on track to field more than 1,000 warheads by 2030.
In September 2024, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. The report says the launch likely practised “wartime nuclear deterrence operations.”
Despite this activity, Chinese leaders remain uncertain. The report says Beijing is not fully confident the PLA can seize Taiwan while defeating U.S. intervention.
As a result, China continues to refine its plans. It is expanding joint operations and maintaining constant military pressure around Taiwan.
The report concludes that China is reshaping the balance of power in the region. It is doing so while trying to keep conflict below the level of full-scale war.
(IANS)
