Taiwan Warns China Can ‘Paralyze’ Island’s Defenses in Conflict

  • More alarming tone in annual assessment of Chinese military
  • Warning will likely fuel calls in Washington for more support
How Taiwan Became the Biggest Risk for a U.S.-China Clash
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Taiwan warned that China could “paralyze” its defenses in a conflict, a stark new assessment expected to fuel calls in Washington for more support for the democratically ruled island.

China is able to neutralize Taiwan’s air-and-sea defenses and counter-attack systems with “soft and hard electronic attacks,” Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in an annual report to lawmakers seen by Bloomberg News. The document offered a more alarming assessment than last year’s report, which had said China still lacked the capability to launch an assault.