China's military continues to pose a threat, even though it currently lacks the capability for amphibious warfare, Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo has said.
"With the Taiwan Strait serving as a natural barrier, I do not believe the People's Liberation Army (PLA) currently has the capability for amphibious warfare," he said.
During a Monday briefing, Koo highlighted the ongoing modernization of China's military and said that Beijing has not ruled out the possibility of invading Taiwan.
Taiwan has maintained an independent government since 1949, while China asserts sovereignty over the self-governing, democratic island, home to more than 23 million people.
Koo said that the PLA continued to employ grey zone tactics against Taiwan. These include actions below the threshold of open conflict, such as incursions by military jets into Taiwan's air defence identification zone — distinct from its airspace — which have been used by Beijing to pressure Taipei for years.
Other tactics involve surprise military drills. Koo pointed to February 26, when the PLA unexpectedly established a training zone off Taiwan's southern coast for live-fire exercises.
Similar manoeuvres near Australia and others have reinforced China's role as a security threat in the Indo-Pacific and a "troublemaker," Koo said.
Referring to the US government under President Donald Trump, Koo stressed that the security of the West Pacific and Indo-Pacific is a core interest for the United States.
"I don't think the US can afford to lose the Indo-Pacific," he said.
From Koo's perspective, the US is determined to prevent any conflict in the region that could threaten its interests in the Indo-Pacific.
Despite lacking official diplomatic relations, the US is legally obligated to assist Taiwan in strengthening its defence capabilities under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
Taiwan is part of a chain of US allies, including Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea, encircling China from the east. Additionally, the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waterways are critical shipping routes. A conflict in the region would have severe consequences for global trade.
