According to a leaked US intelligence document, if Taiwan were attacked, China would likely quickly seize control of the island’s airspace. As the “Washington Post” reported, citing the secret government documents, the Taiwanese military leadership assumes, among other things, that only half of its fighter jets would be able to counter the Chinese military.
Accordingly, the Taiwanese military leadership also doubts that its air defense would precisely detect Chinese missile launches. According to US intelligence reports, Taipei also fears it could take up to a week to move its planes to bunkers to protect them from Chinese attacks.
The US Department of Defense, in turn, considers the Taiwanese military exercises to be insufficient to actually be prepared for an emergency. According to The Washington Post, China’s use of civilian ships for military purposes has hampered US intelligence agencies’ ability to anticipate a possible invasion of Taiwan.
According to the newspaper, the documents are among the secret US papers leaked in recent weeks that a 21-year-old national guard is said to have passed on. It is one of the most momentous releases of secret US documents in recent years. The suspect has since been arrested and faces severe punishment for leaking secrets.
The relationship between China and Taiwan is currently extremely tense. China had been holding a three-day military maneuver called “United Sword” around Taiwan until last Monday. The Chinese units simulated attacks on “key targets” in Taiwan and practiced a blockade of the island. With the military exercises, Beijing responded to a US visit by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Beijing regards self-governing Taiwan as a breakaway territory that it wants to reunite with the mainland – if necessary using military force.
