Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/27
By: Claudia Liu and Evelyn Kao
Taipei, July 27 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said in a recent interview with the BBC that he
CNA file photo
was not happy about a simulated attack on Taiwan’s Presidential Office in a Chinese military drill.
Ma called the move a reminder that despite rapprochement, the military threat from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) remains solid and that Taiwan should prepare to take defensive measures against such threats.
Asked whether China’s growing economic and military strength will pose an increasing threat to Taiwan, Ma said in the interview released Monday that the military balance across the Taiwan Strait has been tilting in favor of China since 2005 because it is difficult for Taiwan to compete with China’s military buildup, given that in recent years, China’s military spending has been on a double-digit or nearly 20 percent annual growth.
Under such circumstances, the best strategy is for the two sides to reduce the risk of military conflict across the strait through achieving political reconciliation and improving relations, according to Ma. [FULL STORY]
