Taiwan believes that it may be attacked by China by 2027, its Defense Ministry said.
The date was revealed in a document given to lawmakers to provide details on upcoming exercises simulating an attack by the Chinese military, Bloomberg reported. Although exercises are conducted annually, Taiwan has not previously provided a date for a possible invasion.
“The Han Kuang Exercise always sets a timeline of one to two years in the future, because the acquisition of new weapons and training require repeated drills for validation,” Defense Minister Wellington Koo told reporters.
Indo-Pacific Command Chief Adm. John Aquilino told the U.S. House Armed Services Committee last year that 2027 could be a potential year for a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
“All indications point to the PLA meeting President Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027,” Aquilino said. “The [People’s Liberation Army] PLA’s actions indicate their ability to meet Xi’s preferred timeline to unify Taiwan with mainland China by force if directed.”
“The [People’s Republic of China] PRC continues to advance its comprehensive military modernization program to transform the PLA into an integrated, joint, high-tech, network-centric military force,” he added. “Modernization has remained aggressive, and China remains committed to delivering the capabilities needed to achieve its objective by 2027.”
American Faith reported that Taiwan conducted its first-ever tabletop exercise simulating a military escalation with China in December. The three-hour exercise brought together dozens of central and local government agencies, civil groups, and private-sector representatives to strategize responses to scenarios ranging from grey-zone warfare to near-conflict situations.
