Speaking on the changing security environment, Ho said that as conflicts in Ukraine and Iran appear to be easing, China may view the prospects of achieving its goals through outright military force as becoming less favourable.
As a result, he said, Beijing is increasingly turning to alternative methods to challenge Taiwan and reshape regional dynamics.
Focus on maritime pressure and legal claims
Ho argued that Beijing is exploiting gaps in international law and using legal instruments to justify increasingly assertive behaviour in disputed waters.
He identified Taiwan’s exclusive economic zones, the median line in the Taiwan Strait, and waters surrounding Kinmen and Matsu as potential flashpoints for future Chinese activity.
According to Ho, China’s coast guard has become a key instrument in this strategy, regularly operating near contested maritime boundaries to create uncertainty and challenge existing norms.
He said these actions are designed not only to reinforce Beijing’s territorial claims but also to shape international perceptions and complicate responses from Taiwan and its partners.
Taiwan urged to adopt ‘absolute transparency’
Ho called on Taiwan to take a more proactive approach in countering Chinese activities, pointing to the Philippines’ policy of “absolute transparency” as a successful model.
By publicly documenting and exposing every Chinese maritime intrusion, Manila has been able to challenge Beijing’s narratives and counter disinformation campaigns.
Ho suggested Taiwan could adopt similar measures, including live-streaming coast guard patrols around its outlying islands to quickly refute false claims.
He also advocated stronger cooperation among Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines through intelligence-sharing, joint maritime enforcement efforts, and diplomatic coordination over fishing and resource disputes.
Rising military activity around Taiwan
The warning comes amid continued Chinese military activity near Taiwan.
Taiwan’s military is set to conduct a five-day combat readiness exercise aimed at improving its ability to respond to a sudden escalation by China and strengthening rapid peacetime-to-wartime transitions.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said the drills would focus on realistic combat scenarios using “actual troops, on actual terrain, in real time, using actual equipment, and through actual implementation.”
Separately, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it detected two Chinese military aircraft sorties, eight naval vessels and four official ships operating around the island.
The ministry said Taiwanese armed forces monitored the situation and responded appropriately.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan maintains its own government, military and democratic system, making the island a continuing source of tensions in the region.
