China Has Debated Attacking Taiwan-Controlled Islands, Top Taiwan Official Says

Sailors stand on the deck of the new type 055 guide missile destroyer Nanchang of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as it participates in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China's PLA Navy in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern China's Shandong Province on April 23, 2019. Mark Schiefelbein/AFP via Getty Images

Beijing has mulled invading Taiwan’s Pratas Islands but will not mount an attack before the island’s president Tsai Ing-wen finishes her term in 2024, a top Taiwanese security official said.

“Attacking and capturing Pratas Islands, and using war to force Taiwan into talks, this scenario in our assessment will not happen during President Tsai’s tenure,” Chen Ming-tong, National Security Bureau Director-General of the self-ruling island, told lawmakers on Nov. 4.