TAIPEI — Taiwan’s top defense official says the island’s military must be prepared to respond instantly to an outbreak of war, as the amount of advance warning before a potential Chinese attack continues to shrink.
This week, Taiwan is carrying out five days of “immediate combat readiness” drills. The military has begun structuring some exercises around a scenario in which China abruptly converts one of its routine operations near the island into an actual assault.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo addressed reporters in parliament on Wednesday, explaining that the drills place a heavier focus on speed and the ability to quickly shift into a wartime footing.
“It is intended to build the speed we believe is necessary for converting from peacetime to wartime status,” Koo said.
He continued: “In other words, given the current threat situation from the enemy, and as we believe the warning time is shortening, we need to verify that we can respond immediately.”
Koo also noted that the exercises are testing whether Taiwan’s armed forces can operate effectively under a decentralized regional command structure.
China considers Taiwan, which is democratically governed, to be part of its own territory. Chinese military forces conduct operations near the island on a near-daily basis. On Tuesday, China’s newest aircraft carrier passed through the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan has held several military drills this month, including tests of its U.S.-manufactured HIMARS rocket system — the same system widely used in Ukraine — firing into the Taiwan Strait. The island’s major annual military exercises, known as Han Kuang, are scheduled for August.
From Beijing, Zhang Han, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, condemned the drills on Wednesday, saying they revealed the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s “malicious intent to seek independence by force.”
“In the face of the powerful people’s army, the DPP authorities’ posturing is completely futile; it will only harm and destroy Taiwan and bring about their own destruction,” Zhang said.
Zhang also reiterated Beijing’s stated preference for “peaceful reunification” while drawing a firm line: “However, we will never pledge to renounce the use of force, and we will never leave any room for separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence in any form.”
China last conducted large-scale war games around Taiwan in late December.
