China's growing militarisation around Taiwan posing 'threat' says defence review report

China's growing militarisation around Taiwan is posing a "military threat" to the country, according to a defence review report due to be presented to the Taiwanese parliament on Thursday (16 March).

"The recent activity of Chinese jets and ships around Taiwan shows the continued rise in (China's) military threat capabilities. In addition to posing a military threat to our country, it also has a negative impact on regional stability," a draft of the 2017 Quadrennial Defence Review seen by Reuters reads.

The report stresses on the need for the country to beef up its defences against the threats.

Taiwan, or officially the Republic of China, is a self-ruled island nation, but Beijing considers it to be a part of its own territories. Recent efforts by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to establish diplomatic connections with the US by talking to President Donald Trump and meeting his officials in Washington have angered China.

The report, which is the first to be released under Tsai's presidency, highlights the uncertainties surrounding Trump's China policy. The new US president had initially declined to honour the "One China policy", which requires them to cut any diplomatic ties with Taiwan and consider it a part of China.

However, following a telephone conversation between the presidents of the US and China in February, Trump has agreed to respect the long-standing US policy.

The Taiwanese report also points out the impact of Japan's expanding military capabilities and growing tensions in the disputed South China Sea. The country's defence ministry, meanwhile, made no comment on the report on Wednesday (15 March).