China's military activities near Taiwan said to be war preparation

Taipei, Aug. 15 (CNA) Recent frequent incidents in which Chinese military aircraft have flown close to Taiwan indicate that Beijing is preparing for a "partial, limited and non-nuclear war" in the Taiwan Strait, a retired Taiwanese vice admiral said Tuesday.

Kung Chia-cheng (龔家政), former head of the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, said at an event marking the 72nd anniversary of the end of World War II that the recent Chinese military maneuvers show that China is preparing for a scenario of war in the Taiwan Strait.

Some media reports have described the incidents as a signal from China to the United States and Japan, or part of China's regular training, Kung noted.

"But personally, I feel that China is preparing for a partial, limited and non-nuclear war," he said, warning that Taiwan cannot just look on without doing anything.

He said that China is attempting to keep the U.S., Japan and South Korea focused on dealing with the nuclear issue in East Asia, and will then initiate a war in the Taiwan Strait, in which the U.S. would be unable to intervene and which would be difficult for Taiwan to resist.

Amid the changing dynamics in the international community, if the deadlock in the Taiwan Strait continues, Taiwan will face an unpredictable crisis, Kung said.

At a separate news conference that same day, the Ministry of National Defense said that China's air force has conducted four rounds of long-distance flight training near Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone so far this month. This followed four rounds of similar training in July.

The aircraft involved in the incidents included Xian H-6K bombers and Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft.

The ministry said the aircraft were probably attempting to collect intelligence on Taiwan's military, but it assured the public that the military has taken proper measures to protect its data from being intercepted by enemies.