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China poses a pressing menace fixed its subject build-up continues unabated, and effectual deterrence is needed to marque definite any onslaught would beryllium precise risky for Beijing, Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said connected Friday (March 20, 2026).
China does not presently program to invade Taiwan successful 2027 and seeks to power the land without the usage of force, the U.S. quality assemblage said connected Wednesday (March 18, 2026), striking a measured code connected 1 of the world's biggest imaginable flashpoints.
Beijing has stepped up unit connected Taiwan, which it views as its own territory, with predominant subject drills. Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
Speaking astir the U.S. report, Mr. Koo said China has neither fixed up the enactment of utilizing unit against Taiwan nor slowed subject spending.
"So its subject expansion, and the menace it poses to us, stay precise serious," helium told reporters astatine Parliament.
"We request to marque it consciousness that immoderate program to onslaught Taiwan would transportation a precocious grade of risk: successful different words, to marque its appraisal of a palmy penetration precise low."
If China continues expanding its subject portion Taiwan's defence capabilities bash not improve, the likelihood of an onslaught would rise, Mr. Koo said.
"On the different hand, if our defence capabilities proceed to amended and our deterrence grows stronger, past its calculation regarding an onslaught connected Taiwan volition decrease. That would person the effect of pushing backmost specified a day again and again."
China's Foreign Ministry connected Thursday (March 19) said that Taiwan is an interior contented and that the U.S. needs to "stop hyping up the 'China threat' theory".
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has projected $40 cardinal successful other defence spending, but the plans person been dilatory to enactment their mode done Parliament, wherever the opposition, which has the astir seats, has complained they are excessively vague and that its lawmakers cannot beryllium expected to motion "blank cheques".
Mr. Lai connected Thursday (March 19) visited Taiwan's caller domestically developed submarine, which is inactive undergoing oversea trials, arsenic good as 1 of its 2 existing combat-capable submarines, bought from the Netherlands successful the 1980s.
Mr. Koo said 1 of those 2 Dutch-built submarines had already completed an upgrade, with the upgrade for the different to beryllium done by the extremity of the year. "These two submarines volition importantly heighten our combat capabilities," helium said.
