A subtle shift in how China talks about Taiwan suggests it is gearing up for war

• China dropped mention of "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan in a government report, Reuters said.
• The report stated that China will increase its military budget by 7.2% this year.
• China appears to be taking a tougher approach to dealing with Taiwan.

In its latest budget report, China dropped mention of "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan — a subtle shift that could signal it is preparing for war.

The report, delivered by Premier Li Qiang at the opening of the National People's Congress, stated that China will increase its military budget by 7.2% this year, Reuters said.

Its military spending for this year is estimated to rise to 1.67 trillion yuan, or $231 billion, the biggest increase in five years, Bloomberg noted.

The government report referenced a call for "reunification" with Taiwan, but said it wanted to "be firm" rather than using the word "peaceful," which has been used in previous reports, per Reuters.

It's not the first time the word "peaceful" hasn't been used, but it's more significant during a period when China is taking a tougher approach to dealing with Taiwan.

Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949 but China sees it as a breakaway province that should be under its jurisdiction.

Wang Huning, the Chinese Communist Party's fourth-ranked leader, said in a Taiwan policy meeting in February that China planned to "resolutely combat" any sign of Taiwan independence in 2024, Reuters reported.

China's military spending has more than doubled since Xi Jinping, the country's leader, took office in 2013, the publication said. It increased from 720 billion yuan in 2013 to 1.67 trillion yuan (around $230.60 billion) in 2024.

This increased spending is an indication of its stance against Taiwan, Li Mingjiang, a defense scholar at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told Reuters.

"China is showing that in the coming decade it wants to grow its military to the point where it is prepared to win a war if it has no choice but to fight one," Li said.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, a spokesperson for the Japanese government, said in a statement that China must be more transparent about its increased military spending. It poses "the greatest strategic challenge ever to ensure the peace and stability of Japan and the international community and strengthen international order," Hayashi said.

Meanwhile, it appears that Taiwan is gearing up with advanced weapons of its own, Business Insider reported in February.

The Missile Threat program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. stated that Taiwan has at least six different types of cruise missiles, including land-attack and anti-ship weapons.

In a January report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, DC, foreign-policy think tank, government experts said it's extremely likely that the US would intervene if China invaded Taiwan.

Representatives for the Chinese government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.