China has recently declared a live-fire exercise area 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) off the southwestern coast of Taiwan without prior announcement. This has raised concerns about the nation’s security and the possibility of a military exercise escalating into a full-scale invasion.
In response to the situation, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told the media on Monday that China is focused on modernizing its military and consistently developing its capability to fully invade Taiwan without foreign intervention. However, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry believes that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is not fully equipped for an amphibious landing, primarily due to Taiwan’s natural barrier presented by the Taiwan Strait. Koo noted that the establishment of the live-fire exercise zone is a typical PLA grey-zone strategy that heightens military threats to Taiwan.
Regarding concerns about whether the PLA will escalate its operations from military drills to full-scale warfare, Koo stated that the ministry will not rule out any possibilities and has corresponding plans to respond to attacks of varying scales. He added that the ministry has already developed relevant strategies.
Koo also emphasized the importance of countering grey-zone strategies. He explained that while grey-zone tactics may not necessarily lead to warfare, the accompanying cognitive and legal warfare, along with the manipulation of public opinion, can have detrimental effects on Taiwanese society and politics. This, in turn, could undermine the nation’s resolve to unite against its adversaries.
Citing Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Koo emphasized that any sovereign state, including Taiwan, has the right to self-defense when facing foreign aggression.