China set to invade, retake Taiwan by 2020: Taipei
China has completed its planned build-up of joint forces for military engagement against Taiwan and is on its way to ensure victory in a decisive battle by 2020, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said in its National Defence Report released today (Oct 27).
The 13th edition of the biennial report states that China has recently held military exercises simulating attacks by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Taiwan’s landmarks and government buildings.
“The PLA has possessed an adequate deterrent force capable of launching joint military operations against Taiwan,” it said.
The PLA also continues to step up the deployment of missiles against Taiwan and aims to upgrade its long-range strike capability.
“Its goal is to be in complete combat readiness status to invade Taiwan by 2020,” the report said.
Apart from the deployment against Taiwan, China is strengthening the combat readiness of its navy and air force in the west Pacific region to avoid any foreign intervention in cross-strait conflicts, it said.
China’s navy and air force have successfully penetrated the “first island chain” on numerous occasions and hope to be able to deter foreign intervention should a war break out in the Taiwan Strait, it said. The “first island chain” refers to a strategic concept of an offshore defence line extending from Japan’s Okinawa and Taiwan down to the Philippines and Indonesia.
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