China has been simulating attacks on U.S. Navy ships and is aiming to prevent foreign forces from coming to Taiwan's aid in the event of a war, Taiwan's defense ministry said in a strongly worded report raising the alarm on Beijing's military designs.
Tensions between Taiwan and China have soared following a visit to Taipei last month by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which infuriated Beijing, which viewed it as an interference in its affairs.
China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own despite the strong objections of the Taipei government, carried out war games after Pelosi's trip and is continuing its military activities near the island.
Taiwan's defence ministry, in a report to parliament that was reviewed by Reuters, said China was continuing to strengthen its combat preparedness for an attack on the island. It was focusing on the first island chain, which runs from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China's coastal seas.