Beijing said it is "always ready" after a U.S. military official warned that China is building up the capacity to invade Taiwan by 2027.
"Taiwan is China's territory, and the Taiwan issue brooks no foreign interference," Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian said on Thursday.
China vows to eventually bring Taiwan under its control, though the Chinese Communist Party has never had a presence there.
In recent years, China has drastically increased its military activities around the self-ruled island, prompting Taipei to redouble efforts to boost its defense capabilities.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral John Aquilino, while on a visit to Japan, told reporters on Tuesday that China is working toward being able to take Taiwan by 2027.
His statement echoes that of CIA Director Bill Burns, who previously cited intelligence indicating Chinese President Xi Jinping had issued the timeline to the People's Liberation Army (PLA). However, that does not mean China will necessarily launch such an invasion.
Aquilino added that he believes China will continue its rapid military buildup regardless of the economic woes the country is facing and could face: "Despite a failing economy, there is a conscious decision to fund military capability."
When asked during the defense ministry's Thursday press conference to respond to Aquilino's comments, Wu said: "On the issue of defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the PLA has always maintained a fighting posture of "being always ready."
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email with a request for comment.
The spokesperson added that there is no need to worry about a war across the Taiwan Strait as long as China's neighbor doesn't "engage in Taiwan independence."
On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill committing $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific partners, including Taiwan.
Taiwan's and other governments in the region will receive $8 billion in security assistance to counter China, of which $2 billion will be allocated under the Foreign Military Financing program. An additional $1.9 billion will replenish stocks of defensive equipment and services, such as training, that the Pentagon supplies to these partners.
Though Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, the U.S. remains Taipei's largest arms supplier.
China lambasted the new legislation, with Chinese Embassy in the U.S. spokesman Liu Pengyu telling Newsweek: "the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese."
During U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing this week, when he met Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Xi, Blinken "stressed the importance and stability across the Taiwan Strait," according to a State Department statement.
Blinken also reiterated that Washington will continue to abide by its one-China policy. The U.S. has for decades observed the policy in which it acknowledges—but does not necessarily agree with—Beijing's claim that it represents Taiwan as well as China.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
