Taiwan says warning time for any China attack is shortening

Taiwan's military needs to test if it can respond immediately to a war breaking out, as the warning time for any Chinese attack is shortening, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Wednesday.



Taiwan is holding five days of "immediate combat readiness" drills this week. Its military has begun basing some of its drills on a scenario in which China suddenly turns one of its regular exercises around the island into an actual attack.



China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and its military operates around the island on an almost daily basis. China's newest aircraft carrier sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday.



The drills put greater emphasis on the ability to respond quickly and rapidly shift into combat readiness, Koo told reporters in parliament.



"It is intended to build the speed we believe is necessary for converting from peacetime to wartime status," he said.



"In other words, given the current threat situation from the enemy, and as we believe the warning time is shortening, we need to verify that we can respond immediately."