Beijing to be Fully Prepared to Attack Taiwan by 2025, Taipei Ready to Defend

China will be fully prepared to forcefully resolve its dispute with Taipei by 2025 said Taiwanese Defence Minister Qiu Guozheng even as Prime Minister Tsai said her country will do whatever it takes to prevent such a happening.

The Chinese government considers Taiwan a breakaway province which it says it will seize by force if necessary, a development that worries the island nation.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen claimed in a Foreign Affairs article on Tuesday that China has not given up its ambition of annexing Taiwan. She warned that after many years of double-digit investment in its military and expansionist behavior in the Taiwan Strait, China is "replacing its commitment to a peaceful resolution with an aggressive posture." Tsai added there would be "catastrophic" consequences for peace and democracy in Asia if the island were to fall to China.

Beijing sent a record number of 56 warplanes including 40 fighter jets and 12 H6 bombers into the Taiwan's territory on Monday. Last week at least 150 Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's air defence zone as China marked its National Day.

"By 2025, China will bring the cost and attrition to its lowest. It has the capacity now, but it will not start a war easily, having to take many other things into consideration," Taiwanese Defense Minister Qiu Guozheng said.

Tsai added that while Taiwan did not seek confrontation, Taiwan would "do whatever it takes to defend itself."

Guozheng said that the current situation in the Taiwan Strait is the tensest in 40 years.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping and had agreed to abide by the Taiwan agreement referring to the One-China policy. "I've spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree, we'll abide by the Taiwan agreement," Biden said.