On Wednesday, Lieutenant General He Lei, the former vice-president of the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences, told Phoenix Television that there was “no explicit distinction” about whether mainland China’s advanced weaponry was aimed at Taiwan.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Xiangshan military forum in Beijing, he added: “We do not wish to possess weapons for attacking Taiwan. What we seek is a peaceful resolution.
“Should it become necessary to resolve the Taiwan issue by force, or to employ non-peaceful means, [we] would not require extensive high-end weapons; conventional weapons would be sufficient.
“We must achieve maximum victory at minimal cost and with the fewest casualties.”
He also said the situation was not one of “my weapon countering your weapon” – the PLA prioritised “joint operations, system-based warfare and overall combat capabilities”.
