China not planning Taiwan invasion in 2027 - US intelligence

China currently does not plan to invade Taiwan next year but aims to take control of the self-governing island without using force, according to an annual US intelligence report published on Wednesday, UNN reports with reference to AFP.

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China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control, escalating military pressure in recent years with exercises conducted around the island.

The intelligence community "assesses that Chinese leaders are not currently planning to invade Taiwan in 2027, nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving unification," the annual US intelligence threat assessment report states.

Last year, US Department of Defense officials identified 2027 as a possible timeframe for an attack.

But the intelligence community offered a more nuanced analysis of the situation.

"In 2026, Beijing will likely continue to seek to create conditions for eventual unification with Taiwan without conflict," the report said.

But it cautioned that Chinese officials recognize that a maritime invasion of Taiwan "would be extremely difficult and carry a high risk of failure, especially if the United States intervened."

The report's authors stated that China publicly insists that "unification with Taiwan is necessary to achieve the goal of 'national rejuvenation' by 2049," which is a much longer potential timeframe for achieving these goals.

Beijing will consider a number of factors when making any decision about invading Taiwan, including its military readiness, the island's politics, and whether Washington would intervene on Taiwan's behalf.

Washington does not officially recognize Taiwan but is the island territory's main military backer, although the tone of that support softened somewhat under US President Donald Trump, the publication notes.

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