Taiwan is seeking to step-up its defenses in response to Beijing’s military pressure. On Wednesday, Taiwan’s Defense Minister stated that Chinese fighter jets or drones that intrude into Taiwan’s airspace will be considered a “first strike.” Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-Cheng was addressing lawmakers on the threats posed by China’s escalatory measures.
Chiu did not specify how Taiwan would respond if China did breach the airspace. Earlier this year, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen stated that any necessary and forceful responses would be taken as appropriate against Chinese gray zone warfare tactics. The Taiwanese officials have also said they will not provoke disputes with China, but that they will counteract if needed. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are the highest they have been in the past few decades. China views the reunification of the two countries as inevitable and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal.
