Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng warned on Monday the island had to be on alert this year for a “sudden entry” by the Chinese military into areas close to its territory.

Mr Kuo-cheng gave the warning amid rising military tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

China has recently stepped up its military activities around Taiwan, including almost daily air force incursions into the island’s air defence identification zone.

However, Taiwan has not reported any incident of Chinese forces entering its contiguous zone, 24 nautical miles (44.4 km) from its coast. But it has shot down a civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast last year.

Answering questions from lawmakers in parliament, Mr Kuo-cheng said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might find excuses to enter areas close to Taiwan’s territorial air and sea space as the island stepped up its military exchanges with the U.S. to Beijing’s ire.

He said the PLA might make a “sudden entry” into Taiwan’s contiguous zone and get close to its territorial space, which the island defines as 12 nautical miles from its coast.

“(I) specifically make these comments this year, meaning they are making such preparations,” Mr Kuo-cheng said. “Looking forward, they will use force if they really have to.”

In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing that Beijing “will take firm measures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Taiwan has vowed to exercise its right to self-defence and counter-attack if Chinese armed forces enter its territory.

China last year staged unprecedented military exercises around Taiwan in reaction to a visit to the island by then-U.S. former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Mr Kuo-cheng said China was looking to “make trouble under a certain pretext, ” which might include visits to the island made by senior foreign government officials or Taiwan’s frequent military contacts with other countries.

Asked by a lawmaker if the U.S. was planning to store some of its military equipment in Taiwan, Mr Kuo-cheng said such discussions were ongoing but declined to elaborate.

The U.S. is Taiwan’s most important international arms supplier, and increasing U.S. support for the democratic island has added to the tension in already strained U.S.-Sino relations.

Mr Kuo-cheng said the PLA sends about 10 planes or ships to areas near Taiwan daily. He said some cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which has traditionally served as an unofficial buffer, on an almost daily basis.

Mr Kuo-cheng said since China had abandoned a tacit agreement on military movements in the Strait, Taiwan had prepared to “fire the first shot” if Chinese entities, including drones or balloons, entered its territorial space.

China claims self-governed Taiwan as its own and has not renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control if needed. Taiwan strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says “only its people can decide their future’’.

(Reuters/NAN)