Taiwan Planning To Prepare Armament For Possible Blockade By Beijing In 2023 - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th March, 2023) Taiwan, as part of its military spending in 2023, will focus on preparing weapons and equipment, including parts for F-16 fighters and replenishing stocks of ammunition, in anticipation of a "total blockade of the Taiwan Strait" by China, Reuters reported on Monday, citing a report prepared by the Taiwanese Defense Ministry.

Taiwan also began reviewing its strategic fuel and repair capabilities last year, the report, which seeks parliamentary budget approval, noted.

The defense ministry said in an updated threat assessment that the Chinese military was conducting joint operations to control strategic bottlenecks in the strait and prevent foreign forces from entering the region, the news outlet added.

"It is adopting an actual war approach and shifting from training to combat preparation," the ministry said in a report obtained by the news agency.

In addition, the country's 2023 military budget would include the purchase of US-made armaments such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, the report read.

The situation around Taiwan escalated after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August as part of her Asia tour. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Several countries, including France, the United States, Japan and others, have since sent their delegations to the island, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Beijing would insist on peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but would never promise to renounce the use of force to resolve the issue.