By Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI, Reuters – Taiwan will not go to war with China and will continue its defenses,” Defence Minister Chiu Kuocheng stated on Thursday. This was amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait which has caused concern around the world.

Taiwan is a large semiconductor producer and has stated repeatedly that it will defend itself against any attack, but it won’t “advance too quickly” and would like to keep the status quo.

Chiu, who used Taiwan’s official title, stated that “What is most clear is the Republic of China will absolutely not start or trigger a war. But if there are movement we will meet with the enemy full-on.”

Military tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, are at their worst in more than 40 years, Chiu said last week https://www.reuters.com/world/china/taiwan-defence-minister-says-china-will-have-ability-mount-full-scale-invasion-2021-10-06, adding that China will be capable of mounting a “full-scale” invasion by 2025.

After China launched four days of simultaneous airforce incursions in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, it was his turn. This is part of a pattern that Taipei considers to be an intensified military harassment from Beijing.

There have not been any shots fired. China’s planes have avoided Taiwan’s airspace and remained in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense zone.

In a report sent to parliament before Chiu appeared in front of lawmakers, the ministry warned China about strong countermeasures should its forces get too close to Chiu.

Chiu also agreed to a report by a lawmaker stating that China was constrained in its mid-air refuelling capabilities. China has no H-6 bombers or Y-8 antisubmarine/reconnaissance aircraft, and that they have not flown into Taiwan’s Bashi Channel.

Chiu’s ministry has drawn maps showing how Chinese fighters remained closer to China’s coastline.

He stated that Taiwan’s aims were to press Taiwan and to tell everyone else they have the capability to stop foreign military forces getting involved.

China on Wednesday called its military activities https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-says-military-drills-near-taiwan-just-move-2021-10-13 a “just” move to protect peace and stability, and again blamed Taiwan’s “collusion” with foreign forces – a veiled reference to the United States – for sowing the tension.

China’s Washington diplomatic mission said on Wednesday it had complained about an encounter between Taiwan’s defacto ambassador to the United States and high ranking diplomats from the United States, as well as the U.S. visit by Taiwan’s army chief, Hsu Yien-pu.

It stated that the U.S. shouldn’t fantasize about China’s cooperation and support, while ignoring China’s red lines on Taiwan.

Chiu stated that Hsu wasn’t in America on a secret mission, but was there as part of annual exchanges. According to Taiwanese Central News Agency,