The Pentagon’s Annual Report on China, the People’s Liberation Army, and Pelosi’s Visit to the Republic of Taiwan

The report included a case in which a Chinese fighter jet descended under the nose of a U.S. military plane and flew within 20 feet of it.

The report said that China has been trying to change its military for decades and that Taiwan has been doing the same. It also noted that in the event of a protracted war with Taiwan, China could try to end the conflict by escalating “cyberspace, space or nuclear activities.”

According to his predecessors, China’s leader is for a peaceful unification of Taiwan but he will not rule out the use of military force.

The Chinese military, the People’s Liberation Army, remains on track to have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, the Pentagon estimates, most of them for missiles and other weapons capable of striking the continental United States.

The Pentagon’s annual report on China began in 2000, and despite current hot wars in both Ukraine and now the Middle East, the Pentagon assessment is closely watched as national security concerns on China continue to drive U.S. defense budgets and training priorities.

During Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China held large-scale military exercises that encircled Taiwan’s main island. Analysts said the move demonstrated how Beijing’s military might blockade Taiwan and cut it off from critical energy supplies in the future.

The Pentagon stated that the People’s Liberation Army is preparing for a contingency to unite Taiwan with the PRC by force if necessary by Beijing.

“We definitely see improvements in their capabilities. Those were demonstrated in certain respects during their response to the then-Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, to President Tsai’s transit of the United States,” the senior defense official said, but also noted that the “PRC still perceives that they have some shortcomings that they have yet to fully address.”