Hong Kong. November 9th. INTERFAX - The armed forces of mainland China already have the capabilities and means to block key ports and airports in Taiwan, the Taiwanese military department said on Tuesday.
"At present, the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) is able to blockade our most important ports, airports and flight routes in order to block our air and sea lines and affect the flow of military supplies and logistical resources to us," the report says.
It notes that at the same time, the PLA seeks to complete the modernization of its armed forces by 2035 in order to "gain superiority in possible operations against Taiwan and real opportunities to resist foreign forces, which poses a serious threat to our national security."
The recent increase in military exercises and flights of Chinese Air Force aircraft in Taiwan's air defense identification zone is part of what Taipei sees as a carefully planned pursuit strategy.
"His intimidating behavior is aimed not only at reducing the level of our combat power and undermining our faith and morale, but is also an attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait in order to eventually achieve his goal of "capturing Taiwan without a fight," the military department said in a statement.
