Taiwan's defense minister said on Wednesday (Oct. 6) that military tensions with China are at their worst level in more than 40 years, days after a record number of Chinese planes went into the island's air defense zone.
Tensions between Taipei and Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory, have reached a new height, with Chinese military aircraft frequently flying across Taiwan's air defense identification zone.
Taiwan reported around 150 Chinese air force aircraft entering its air defense zone over four days beginning last Friday, part of a pattern of what Taipei says Beijing's persistent harassment of the island.
Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the present military tensions with China were "the most serious" in the more than 40 years since he entered the military, adding a chance of a "misfire" across the delicate Taiwan Strait.
"As a military man, the urgency is right in front of me," he told a parliamentary committee looking into a T$240 billion (S$11.7 billion) military spending plan for homemade weaponry like missiles and battleships.
Taiwan is considered a renegade province by China, which must be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary. Taiwan has stated that it will protect its liberties and democracy, blaming the tensions on China.
China, according to Chiu, can attack Taiwan and will be able to launch a "full-scale" invasion by 2025.
"By 2025, China will have reduced cost and attrition to their lowest levels. It has the capability now, but it will not be easy to launch a conflict since it must consider many other factors."
Taiwan's biggest military supplier, the United States, reaffirmed its "rock-solid" commitment to Taiwan while criticizing China. Beijing accuses Washington of inflaming tensions by helping Taiwan with military sales and deploying warships through the Taiwan Strait.
Over the next five years, Taiwan's particular military budget will primarily go toward naval weaponry, notably anti-ship weapons such as land-based missile systems.
On Tuesday, Taiwan reported that a Chinese air force aircraft had breached its air defense zone.
Chiu made his remarks after US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding Taiwan and agreed to uphold the Taiwan accord.
"I've discussed Taiwan with Xi. We agree... we'll follow through on the Taiwan accord "he stated. "We made it clear that I don't think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement." she says.
Biden appeared to be referring to the United States' long-standing "one-China policy" in which it recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei, and the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing rather than Taipei is based on the expectation that Taiwan's future will be determined through peaceful means.
Biden made the remarks to reporters at the White House after returning from a trip to Michigan to push a spending package.
On Sunday, the US urged China to halt its military activities near Taiwan.
"The United States is very concerned by the People's Republic of China's provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilising, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability," said State Department spokesman Ned Price in a statement on Sunday.
Biden also appeared to be referring to a 90-minute phone discussion he had with Xi on Sept. 9, their first in seven months, in which they emphasized the need to avoid war between the world's two most significant economies.
