Taiwan warns PLA intensifies blockade prep; ministry details counter-cordon plans

Taiwan's defense ministry's 2026 China Military Power Report assesses that PLA exercises are increasingly focused on joint blockade operations against the island, prompting Taipei to sharpen its own counter-blockade plans. The report, submitted with a five-year force development plan and next year's defense budget, signals an escalation in cross-strait military contingency planning. The assessment is Taiwan's official claim; PLA intent remains inferred from exercise patterns.