China's pressure on Taiwan intensified in 2023: U.S. defense report

Taipei, Dec. 19 (CNA) China increased its military pressure on Taiwan in 2023 and took other steps in preparation for a potential invasion, according to an annual report published by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on Wednesday (U.S. time).

"Throughout 2023, Beijing continued to erode longstanding norms in and around Taiwan by employing a range of pressure tactics against Taiwan," the DoD said in the report titled Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2024.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China "is preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force, if perceived as necessary by Beijing, while simultaneously deterring, delaying, or denying any third-party intervention on Taiwan's behalf," the report said.

The DoD's analysts said Beijing has "a range of options to coerce Taipei" based on the PLA's "increasing capabilities in multiple domains."

These options, which the DoD said could be used individually or in combination, include an air and maritime blockade, limited military actions, precision missile and air strikes, the seizure of Taiwan's small outlying islands, and a large-scale amphibious invasion of Taiwan proper.

An amphibious invasion would be "one of the most complicated and difficult military operations for the PLA" that would "likely strain the PRC's armed forces and invite a strong international response," the U.S. defense department said.

Nonetheless, the PLA's amphibious brigades conducted "realistic, large-scale" amphibious assault training in 2023 that was "almost certainly aimed at supporting a Taiwan invasion scenario," the report stated.

Although there is "no indication" that China is expanding its fleet of tank landing ships and medium-sized landing craft "at this time," the DoD said, the PLA probably assesses that it already has sufficient amphibious capacity or believes China's "massive" shipbuilding capacity can "produce the necessary shore-to-shore connectors relatively quickly."

The report also noted that China's navy transferred many of its land-based aircraft, including 300 fighter jets, to its air force last year, so that the navy could "focus on improving carrier-based air operations."

In addition, the PLA's rocket force increased its presence along the Taiwan Strait with new missile battalions last year and "is prepared to conduct missile attacks" in an attempt to "degrade Taiwan's defenses, neutralize Taiwan's leadership, or break the public's will to fight," according to the DoD.

The report also detailed how Taiwan is "taking steps to address the military threat posed by the PLA" such as building war reserve stocks, growing its defense-industrial base, improving joint operations and crisis response capabilities, and strengthening its officer and noncommissioned officer corps.

In addition to the section on Taiwan, the DoD report on the PLA also covered other topics, including the security situation in the South China Sea and the impact of corruption on China's military capabilities.

On Thursday, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told reporters that "Taiwan has the determination, ability and strength to enhance its self-defense capabilities and deter reckless moves by China."