A US intelligence report assesses China does not plan a 2027 invasion of Taiwan, seeking unification without force, a claim Beijing strongly rejects

WASHINGTON: China does not currently plan to invade Taiwan in 2027 but seeks to take control of the self-ruled island without force, according to an annual US intelligence report.

The assessment, published on Wednesday, drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing on Thursday.

The intelligence community “assesses that Chinese leaders do not currently plan to execute an invasion of Taiwan in 2027, nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving unification,” its Annual Threat Assessment report stated.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded that “the Taiwan issue is China’s internal affair”.

He urged the United States to “speak and act cautiously” on the matter.

“The US should… correct their understanding of China, and stop hyping up the China threat theory,” Lin told a press conference.

The report offers a more measured analysis than previous US official statements, which had flagged 2027 as a possible timeline for an attack.

“In 2026, Beijing probably will continue seeking to set the conditions for eventual unification with Taiwan short of conflict,” the report said.

It cautioned that Chinese officials recognise an amphibious invasion “would be extremely challenging and carry a high risk of failure, especially in the event of US intervention.”

The report’s authors said China publicly insists “unification with Taiwan is required to achieve its goal of ‘national rejuvenation’ by 2049”.

Beijing would consider a range of factors in any decision to invade, including its military readiness and whether Washington would intervene.

Washington does not officially recognise Taiwan but is the island’s main military backer.

The tone of that support has softened slightly under US President Donald Trump.

 The Sun Malaysia