"At Any Moment"—China Raises Readiness for Invasion of Taiwan

The Chinese armed forces have reached a level of readiness that would allow them to transition from peacetime to a full-scale military operation against Taiwan with virtually no prior mobilization. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing Taiwanese and U.S. officials.

According to a senior Taiwanese military official, China’s air force and rocket units could launch an operation to seize the island "at any moment." Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense notes that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is conducting ongoing amphibious training near ports that could serve as landing sites, maintains army aviation units ready for air assaults, and has deployed PCH-191 multiple launch rocket systems with a range of up to 300 km—enough to strike targets across the entire island.

Chinese aerial activity has also surged. According to Taiwan’s defense ministry, Chinese aircraft now enter the island’s air defense identification zone more than 245 times a month on average. Five years ago, such incidents occurred fewer than ten times per month.

A Pentagon spokesperson described the trend to the FT as "a clear demonstration of escalation and sustained pressure on Taiwan’s airspace." He noted that around ten Chinese warships are on constant patrol near the island, and given the proximity of port infrastructure, Beijing could "initiate a blockade within hours."

Taiwanese officials also stress that China’s naval presence enables it to launch an air assault without prior warning.

U.S. intelligence believes that President Xi Jinping ordered the PLA as early as 2019 to develop full invasion capabilities against Taiwan by 2027.