According to a Focus Taiwan report, France's 2025 National Strategic Review has raised concerns about China's militarily assertive posture in East Asia, pointing out growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait as Beijing keeps increasing pressure on Taipei.
The report, which was released on Monday, emphasized that Beijing's coercive tactics have significantly increased in the wake of the massive Chinese military maneuvers around Taiwan in 2024 and 2025. According to Focus Taiwan, these moves are a part of China's larger strategy to enforce a fait accompli throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea.
"The regional situation is particularly dangerous and volatile," the report added, citing both the rising military activity and the "uncertainty over the security guarantees provided by the United States to its Asian allies and partners", especially in light of shifts under former President Donald Trump. France also warned that China is employing hybrid actions beyond conventional military tools to secure its strategic ambitions, which include cyber operations, technological predation, and targeted infiltration of advanced defence technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and space systems, Focus Taiwan added.
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Not only this, but the report also claims that Beijing is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal. Unlike other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), China refused to declare a moratorium on the production of fissile material--substances capable of sustaining nuclear fission. Beijing could amass 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030 and 1,500 by 2035, Focus Taiwan reported.
France also noted China's ballistic capabilities, highlighting the 310 ballistic missile launches conducted by Beijing in 2024 alone and the recent firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile with a claimed range of 12,000 kilometres aimed at sending a strategic signal to Taiwan and the US.
In addition to this, the review expressed concern about China's increasing interest in French overseas territories, particularly New Caledonia, which is strategically located and has abundant nickel reserves. French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced an additional EUR 6.5 billion in military spending to address changing threats. This will bring the defense budget to EUR 64 billion by 2027, two years ahead of the original projection.
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