Defense & Security

Think Tank Suspects Delay in Attack Plan Against Taiwan; China’s Xi Orders Military to Make Up Delay in 5-Year Plan

AP
Chinese paramilitary policemen stand guard during a preparatory session meeting of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) with the background of Tiananmen gate in Beijing on March 4.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:32 JST, March 24, 2025

The Chinese military was ordered to make up the delay in a project believed to be linked to attacking Taiwan by 2027, at the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China earlier this month, according to an analysis by the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals think tank.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, told the People’s Liberation Army and others on March 7 that the 14th Five-Year Plan of China is facing significant problems. The plan establishes development goals for national defense and other areas.

Xi ordered them to adjust the rate and quality of progress toward those goals, among other elements, and strengthen measures against corruption.

According to the analysis published on Friday by Maki Nakagawa, a researcher at the Japan think tank, Xi’s instructions seem to imply that he recognizes there has been a delay in the five-year plan. The orders seemed to be aimed at preparing to attack Taiwan by 2027 as originally intended, but only after dealing with corruption by senior military officials and munition-related companies.

Furthermore, Xi stressed at the congress that he would make the best use of the strength and resources of the private sector and accelerate the development of new combat abilities. Through these remarks, Xi expressed his view that private-sector technologies should be utilized to strengthen combat abilities in new areas, such as space and the cyberworld.

Nakagawa said Japan also needs to improve its technological abilities in new areas through public-private partnerships.