April 27, 2026 03:47 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
YouTuber Saleem Wastik arrested in connection with 1995 kidnapping and murder case | Maharashtra Police makes first arrest months after Akshay Kumar revealed daughter’s cyber harassment | Big political shake-up: KCR’s daughter Kavitha floats new TRS after BRS fallout | ED raids multiple Bengal locations in PDS scam probe amid assembly polls | Bengal polls: Mob attacks central forces, 3 CAPF personnel injured in Birbhum | ‘People voting to protect their rights’: Mamata says high turnout backs TMC in Bengal | ‘Fear is being defeated’: PM Modi says high voter turnout signals BJP win in Bengal | Crude bomb attack in Murshidabad’s Nowda as violence hits Bengal polling | ‘Mamata Banerjee’s politics fuelled BJP growth in Bengal’: Rahul Gandhi | 'Will never forget’: Nation remembers Pahalgam victims as leaders vow strong fight against terror
Taiwan says its military can instantly counter a sudden Chinese attack using decentralised command systems.
Taiwan
A US-supplied F-16 fighter takes off from Chiayi Airbase in Southern Taiwan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Al Jazeera English

Taiwan says military can act instantly against surprise Chinese strike

| @indiablooms | Dec 16, 2025, at 04:06 pm

Taipei/IBNS: Taiwan’s military is capable of responding immediately to any sudden Chinese attack, operating independently without waiting for instructions from senior command, the island’s defence ministry has said in a report submitted to lawmakers.

The assessment comes amid rising concern in Taipei that Beijing could abruptly turn routine military drills into real combat operations, catching Taiwan and its international partners unprepared.

Decentralised command key to rapid response

According to the defence ministry, all military units are trained to function under a decentralised command structure in the event of an unexpected assault. 
 
If Chinese exercises were to escalate “from drill to war”, frontline units would be authorised to carry out combat missions instantly, without awaiting orders from higher headquarters.

The ministry said established procedures are already in place to quickly raise combat readiness levels should the security situation deteriorate.

China’s growing military pressure around Taiwan

China conducts military operations around Taiwan almost every day, activities that Taipei describes as “grey zone” tactics. 
 
These manoeuvres stop short of open conflict but are designed to exhaust Taiwan’s armed forces by keeping them in a constant state of alert.

The defence ministry noted that the scale and frequency of Chinese military activity have steadily increased, including regular “joint combat readiness patrols” involving multiple branches of the People’s Liberation Army.

Drills shifting towards real combat scenarios

Taiwan’s report also warned that China is no longer limiting itself to symbolic exercises. 
 
Beijing has been practising potential attack scenarios and deploying naval vessels deeper into the Pacific Ocean, extending operations towards Australia and New Zealand.

The ministry said Chinese forces are increasingly conducting multi-service, combat-oriented training, underscoring Beijing’s refusal to rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Sovereignty dispute remains unresolved

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position firmly rejected by Taipei. 
 
Taiwan’s government maintains that only the island’s population has the right to decide its future.

Defence Minister Wellington Koo is scheduled to brief lawmakers and respond to questions on the report later this week, as cross-strait tensions continue to dominate regional security discussions.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.