TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Pentagon officials are reportedly concerned that if China invades Taiwan, Guam could become a primary target of PLA missile strikes.
Based on intelligence assessments of China's war plans, US defense officials have indicated that if China launches an invasion of Taiwan, Guam would be “a major target of Chinese missile strikes,” per the Washington Times. This would include Guam's airfields and ports, home to bombers, fighter jets, spy drones, and naval vessels.
The newspaper cited a US defense official as saying that based on intelligence briefings this week Guam would be targeted by PLA missiles in the early phase of an operation to seize Taiwan.
During his visit to Guam on Thursday, following a stop in Hawaii, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Guam’s primary missile defense infrastructure serves as a model for former President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome national missile defense initiative.
After meeting with Guam officials, Hegseth remarked, “We’re going to learn a lot (from Guam's defense system) and apply them to defenses on the continental United States.”
Guam, the westernmost US territory in the Indo-Pacific, hosts approximately 6,400 stationed US military personnel. The Pentagon is investing NT$241.91 billion (US$7.3 billion) in military construction on the island, with projects extending through 2028.
To counter potential Chinese missile strikes, the US Air Force has adopted an agile combat deployment strategy, dispersing fighter jets across a network of smaller regional airfields.
According to the Pentagon’s latest report on China’s military capabilities released in December, the PLA is capable of striking US bases in Guam with both ballistic and cruise missiles. The report also noted that multiple PLA naval strike groups, including aircraft carriers, have already been deployed near Guam.
Meanwhile, Hegseth warned that Pacific Island nations near Guam are facing increasing aggression from China. He reaffirmed that the US and its allies stand united against such encroachments.
“Any attack against these islands is an attack against the US,” he said, emphasizing that while the US military seeks to deter China, it must also be prepared for combat. “We are not seeking a war with communist China. But it is our job to ensure that we are ready,” said Hegseth.
Hegseth also addressed US troops stationed in Guam, calling them the “tip of the spear” for US force projection in the Indo-Pacific.
