TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense said China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan have increasingly focused on joint blockade operations to cut off the country's external routes.
The MND’s annual report on Chinese military capabilities was submitted to the Legislative Yuan on Monday along with its proposed 2027 budget and five-year force buildup and policy plan, per UDN. It said the PLA has continued military preparations and annual exercises, while conducting joint drills focused on strengthening its ability to attack Taiwan and counter foreign forces in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and western Pacific.
Recent exercises targeting the nation have focused on joint blockade operations involving PLA aircraft, naval vessels, China coast guard ships, and maritime militia, per CNA. The forces are intended to cut Taiwan’s external transportation routes, establish an encirclement, and create conditions favorable to an attack.
China has also intensified gray-zone harassment and rapidly expanded its military capabilities while drawing lessons from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, UDN reported. Taiwan’s defense planning will focus on four areas: building asymmetric capabilities, strengthening defense resilience, enhancing reserve forces, and improving gray-zone response capabilities.
The ministry’s five-year force buildup plan calls for a comprehensive review of budget execution, prioritizing major military investments and weapons procurement programs that provide critical combat capabilities. Less urgent projects will be postponed or reconsidered, while obsolete equipment will be phased out.
For major arms procurement programs, the ministry said it will assign liaison officers to manufacturers to monitor production progress and quality based on key milestones specified in procurement contracts, according to UDN. The officers will track and report on weapons production, testing, and delivery, with major contractual risks to be reported immediately for coordination and resolution.
Key force-building projects include procuring new rifles, weapon accessories, and night-vision devices to improve nighttime combat capabilities and shooting accuracy. The ministry also plans to acquire mobile obstacle systems, new armored and combat vehicles, and various civilian transport and heavy-load vehicles.
