PLA could ramp up aggression ahead of 2027: think tankBy Hollie Younger / Staff writerThis year could see the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) undertaking “more aggressive, ambitious operations around Taiwan,” in preparation for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) stated goal of the PLA having the capability to take Taiwan by next year, Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) director John Dotson said yesterday. It is thus the last year for the PRC to reach that capability, said Ann Kowalewski, a senior non-resident fellow at the Washington-based GTI. The institute yesterday held a panel discussion titled “Looking Ahead for Taiwan Policy in 2026.”Global Taiwan Institute director John Dotson speaks during a panel discussion in Washington yesterday. “What we might see is a massive ramp-up this year in PRC military capability,” she said. Kowalewski formerly led the Indo-Pacific portfolio as a senior professional staff member of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
