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Taiwan is stockpiling supplies to prepare for blockade or attack, official says
- Island has food, energy and other critical supplies in reserve, according to deputy economy minister Chen Chern-chyi
- But he says it would be unrealistic to decouple from mainland China, Taiwan’s largest trading partner
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Lawrence Chungin Taipei
Taiwan has been stockpiling critical supplies to prepare for a possible mainland Chinese blockade or if a conflict breaks out, according to a senior official from the self-ruled island.
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But Chen Chern-chyi, deputy economy minister, said it would be unrealistic to decouple trade from mainland China because of the growing military threats from the People’s Liberation Army.
Chen told reporters in Taipei on Wednesday there was a need for the island to keep reasonable stores of important supplies.
“With respect to a possible military conflict, we have made preparations for food and for energy and critical supplies, including manufacturing supplies. We have a system – we do an inventory every month,” Chen said.
“We want to ensure that we have a certain period’s worth stockpiled in Taiwan, including food, including critical supplies, minerals, chemicals and energy of course.”
Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has suspended official exchanges and staged war games near the island as part of a pressure campaign since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle.
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In August, the PLA held unprecedented live-fire drills around Taiwan and fired ballistic missiles over the island after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei. Beijing saw the trip as a violation of its sovereignty and a breach of Washington’s one-China policy.
Like most countries, the US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but is opposed to any attempt to take the island by force – something Beijing has not ruled out.
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