Taiwan warned on Thursday of a possible attack by China "under the guise" of military drills in its region. The concern was flagged by Defense Minister Wellington Koo, who noted that Beijing's expanding range of military maneuvers was making it harder to anticipate their actions, news website Focus Taiwan reported.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As China’s military drills around Taiwan increase, it is becoming harder to discern when Beijing might be transitioning from a training exercise to war, said Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄).

China has also been deploying increasing numbers of non-military government ships such as coastguard, marine research and maritime safety vessels in waters around Taiwan. Defence experts believe the missions gather ocean data for submarine warfare and simulate coercive measures that could be used in a blockade.

Many experts argue that China is preparing to seize Taiwan, driven by economic, geopolitical, and historical motivations. The CCP views Taiwan's annexation as a way to solidify its dominance in the Indo-Pacific and erase the legacy of the Chinese Civil War.

China sanctions nine U.S. military firms in response to arms sales to Taiwan, asserting violations of the one-China principle.

Taiwan's defense minister, Wellington Koo, says its getting harder to tell if any of China's many military drills might actually be a cover for Beijing to launch a surprise attack.