TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver, speaking to CNA in Taipei, said Taiwan needs to build up its defensive resilience to hold off growing pressure from China.

Schriver said China can strike in many ways and may try to block Taiwan or squeeze it instead of launching a direct assault. He said Taiwan, Japan, and the US need to think through every scenario and get ready before anything kicks off, CNA reported Saturday.

China keeps adding new elements to its military drills and seems to be working out steps for a larger operation, Schriver pointed out. He noted that Beijing could choose other moves too, such as grabbing one of Taiwan’s outlying islands.

Shriver stressed that Taiwan must build up energy, communications, and government readiness so it can hold out long enough for help to show up. He said the stronger Taiwan’s preparations look, the more likely Washington will step in.

He praised President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) for leading the national resilience committee and said the move sends a strong signal. Schriver argued that social resilience matters more than weapons because Taiwan must keep running even if China tries to choke off supplies.

Liberty Times on Saturday quoted Japanese security experts, saying Taiwan needs to show it can defend itself. They warned that Japan cannot avoid the fallout if tensions break out and said Tokyo will make decisions based on its security treaty with the US.