(ANSA) - BEIJING, MARCH 07 - Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng has asked to keep the alert high on a "sudden entry" of the Chinese armed forces into areas close to its territory.
Chiu said in parliament that the sharp increase in Chinese military spending for 2023 indicates that Beijing is "preparing to use force if necessary" to take over the island.
On Sunday, at the start of the annual session of the National People's Congress, Beijing unveiled its 2023 budget, including military spending of 1.56 trillion yuan (nearly $230 billion), up 7.2 percent and at the fastest pace in the last 4 years.
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