TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has gradually increased the scale, frequency, and intensity of military exercises targeted at Taiwan, which poses a serious challenge to national security, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said on Monday (March 21).

The MND pointed out in a recent report that the war between Russia and Ukraine has impacted the strategic situation in Eurasia and, in turn, the security environment of the Indo-Pacific region, per CNA.

As China’s military has become more modernized, it has slowly been able to break through the first island chain and intends to extend eastward, the MND said. The MND said because Taiwan is a major part of the island chain, the U.S. and its allies have conducted joint military exercises and patrols in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea to contain Beijing’s eastward expansion and gain regional dominance.

The MND said that China’s advanced fighter aircraft, ships, and other new weapons are being incorporated into its military, greatly improving its overall combat capability and posing a serious challenge to Taiwan.

Taiwan is developing long-range, precise, and mobile weapon systems, with the aim of waging asymmetrical warfare, the MND said. By bolstering overall defense combat capabilities and creating asymmetric advantages, Taiwan can “effectively deter” China’s military advances, the ministry added.

The MND emphasized that in order to improve combat capabilities, the military must continue to strengthen combat readiness and make proper preparations, and strictly monitor maritime borders and airspace to maintain national security.