Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Ku warned that China poses a serious threat as Beijing's military buildup continues in full force, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
According to the Taiwanese minister, there is a need for an effective deterrent to ensure that any attack would be extremely risky for Beijing.
A few days ago, the US intelligence community announced that China does not plan to attack Taiwan in 2027, as Beijing seeks to establish control over the island without the use of force.
China has increased pressure on Taiwan with frequent military exercises. The Taiwanese government rejects Beijing's claims that the island is Chinese territory, the agency recalls.
Regarding the US intelligence reports, Taiwan's defense minister said that China has neither given up the possibility of using force against Taiwan nor reduced its military spending. "China's military expansion and the threat to Taiwan remain very serious," Wellington Ku said.
According to him, if China continues to expand its military forces and Taiwan's defense capabilities do not improve, the likelihood of an attack will increase. On the other hand, if Taiwan's defense capabilities continue to improve and its deterrence is strengthened, then the likelihood of an attack on Taiwan will decrease, he explained.
China's Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Taiwan is an internal matter and that the United States should "stop spreading theories of a Chinese threat."
Taiwan's President William Lai has proposed an additional $40 billion in defense spending. But his plan is unlikely to be easily passed by parliament, as the opposition, which has the most seats in the legislature, says the spending strategy is "vague" and that it will not sign "blank checks."