Taiwan says to respond rapidly to sudden Chinese attack

Taiwan's military can respond rapidly to any sudden Chinese attack with all units able to operate under a decentralised mode of command without awaiting orders from above, Taipei's defence ministry said in a report to lawmakers.

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Democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, has repeatedly warned that China could try to suddenly shift its regular drills into active combat mode to catch Taiwan and its international supporters off guard.

China's military operates around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, in what Taipei says is part of a “grey zone” harassment and pressure campaign that stops short of actual combat but is designed to wear out Taiwan's armed forces by putting them constantly on alert.