Admiral John Aquilino, head of Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that PLA’s preparation for a possible operation is ongoing.
Aquilino’s statements before his testimony, as reported by The Hill, are:
“All indications point to the PLA meeting President Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. Furthermore, if directed, the PLA’s actions indicate their ability to meet Xi’s preferred timeline to unify Taiwan with mainland China by force.”
China continues its attempts at annexing Taiwan in various ways. As statements towards Taiwan for ‘unification’ are ongoing due to political pressure, China is putting resources into keeping military force options fresh with new deployments and equipment.
A few days ago, Taiwan officially acknowledged the existence of the U.S. Special Forces on its soil. Reports of U.S. Special Forces personnel stationed in Taiwan appeared in Taiwanese media recently.
Alongside the U.S. support, Taiwan is also producing or developing its own weapon systems, such as long-range cruise missiles, air defence systems, and heavily armed fast attack craft to counter a possible Chinese invasion.
U.S. Admiral: China Preparing for Taiwan Invasion in 2027
