Taiwan’s defense minister, in a defiant message to Beijing, said the self-ruled island’s armed forces were ready to repel an invasion by mainland China “in the next hour.”

Chiu Kuo-cheng told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that Taiwan’s military was in a state of high-preparedness as growing tension across the Taiwan Strait had increased the risk of conflict between the two sides.

Taiwan’s military would fight troops from mainland China for as long as the invaders were there, regardless of how long it took United States combat units to arrive and help the island.

Since last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has been sending an increased number of warplanes into Taiwan’s airspace amid growing tensions.

At the Legislative Yuan committee meeting, Taiwan Air Force Chief of Staff Huang Chih-wei said the air force would add NT$2.1 billion (US$74.2 million) to its budget for dealing with incursions by PLA aircraft. Part of that would go toward the cost of additional sorties by Taiwan’s fighters to see off Chinese intruders, with hourly operating costs of around NT$150,000 for an F-16, Huang said.

A team of pilots in the Chiayi base had now been equipped with enhanced combat capabilities on their newly upgraded F-16V fighters, military officials said. These have significantly enhanced Taiwan’s air defenses, with the upgraded F-16Vs on a par with the PLA’s latest J-20 fighters, they said.

Meanwhile, a row continued over attempts by China’s ambassador to France to cancel a French congressional trip to Taiwan.

The Chinese envoy, Lu Shaye, earlier caused a backlash from Taiwan after he wrote a letter and asked French Senator Alain Richard to cancel the planned trip to Taiwan.

The Chinese embassy in France hit back at Taiwan on Wednesday, saying the island showed its “evil intent” in undermining Sino-French relations and in its gradual attempts at gaining independence.

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