AP Photo

TAIPEI - In hardly a gesture of friendliness to its neighbors, China's Defense Ministry has confirmed the People Liberation Army Navy's (PLA Navy) aircraft carrier program. The announcement comes just days after the Taiwanese military released its regular defense white paper, which some observers likened to the island waving a white flag of surrender.

The edge the PLA has over the Taiwanese armed forces is becoming increasingly overwhelming, the Taiwanese military says, and within a decade, the PLA won't have a hard time forcing Taipei into accepting unification by military means if necessary. Adding insult to injury by showcasing...