Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said that she does not exclude the possibility of China attacking the self-ruled Island, amid heightened tensions between the two sides including an increasing number of Chinese military exercise near Taiwan. China says the exercises are routine, but that it will not tolerate any attempt by the Island to declare independence. China considers democratic Taiwan to be its sacred territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. Taiwan has been pressing for the United States, its main source of arms, to provide more advanced equipment, but has also been trying to bolster its own weapons programs.
