China will not attack Taiwan until next year, but Beijing is still pursuing its goal of taking control of the island nation, according to the latest assessment by the US intelligence agency, Al Jazeera reported.
"Chinese leaders do not currently plan to invade Taiwan in 2027, nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving reunification", the US intelligence community's 2026 Annual Threat Assessment states.
The report also explains that "Beijing will almost certainly consider a variety of factors in deciding whether and how to adhere to military approaches to unification, including the readiness of the PLA (People's Liberation Army of China - ed. note), Taiwan's actions and policies, and whether the United States will intervene militarily on Taiwan's behalf".
According to intelligence, the PLA is making "steady but uneven progress" and at times "increasing the scope, size, and pace of operations around Taiwan" with military exercises and operations, but there are still too many risks for the Chinese leadership.
It added that the Chinese leadership still "prefers to achieve unification without the use of force, if possible".
The US intelligence report explained that China's attack on Taiwan would also cause wider economic disruption, as Taiwan is the world's largest computer chip manufacturer and about a fifth of world trade passes through the Taiwan Strait.
"Even without Washington's involvement, US and global economic and strategic interests would face significant and costly consequences, with technology supply chains disrupted and investors fearful in all markets," the report further emphasized, adding that a prolonged war with the US risks unprecedented economic costs for the US, Chinese and global economies.