Taiwan pins 2027 as potential year for Chinese invasion amid rising tensions

Taiwan has for the first time identified 2027 as the potential year for a Chinese invasion, highlighting growing concerns on the self-ruled island amid rising tensions with Beijing.

The Taiwanese Defence Ministry disclosed this timeline in a document released on March 18 to brief lawmakers on the upcoming war games, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The annual military drills, known as the Han Kuang Exercise, will also expand in length to 10 days this summer, reflecting an intensified focus on military readiness. This marks a shift from past drills, where no specific year for a Chinese invasion was mentioned.

Defence Minister Wellington Koo, however, downplayed the significance of naming a date.

“The Han Kuang Exercise always sets a timeline of one to two years in the future, because the acquisition of new weapons and training require repeated drills for validation,” he told reporters. He added that the focus of the drills might be more of a political strategy to overcome challenges in Taiwan’s divided parliament, particularly with opposition parties questioning military spending plans.

The 2027 timeframe aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s goal of modernizing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by that year, with the aim of making it a world-class force by 2047. US officials have also suggested that China is preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027, citing Beijing’s military buildup, including an increase in fighter aircraft, warships, and missiles.

Despite these concerns, Taiwanese officials have previously dismissed the US assessment, with Koo stating in 2023 that China was not ready to carry out amphibious landing operations. The Pentagon has also indicated that internal corruption within the PLA could undermine China’s military modernization goals and hinder its ability to wage war effectively.

The situation has escalated since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024. Beijing has conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan and ramped up pressure on the island, while the rhetoric from Chinese officials has become increasingly aggressive.

By Vafa Guliyeva