Last month, the Department of Defense released its annual report onChina's growing military power. This year's report is full of useful data and well-calibrated interpretations. But for Taiwan, the picture it paints is not good.
The report concludes that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) acquisition of capabilities relevant to Taiwan continues without any reduction; deployments of advanced assets opposite the island have not eased; and the military balance continues to shift in China's favor. It judges that China is acquiring capabilities in the service of three objectives: to deter Taiwanese independence; to influence Taiwan to settle on Beijing's terms; and to "deter, delay, or deny possible U.S.support for the island in case of conflict." China thus seeks to enhance its options while restricting those of Taiwan and the United States.
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