The chilling warning comes in the wake of unprecedented incursions by Chinese fighter jets into Taiwan's airspace. Between Friday and Monday, pilots from the People's Liberation Army carried out 149 sorties into Taiwan's Air Defence Zone, creating a new record in the process. In an aggressive and belligerent editorial, the Communist Party controlled Global Times accused Taiwan of engaging in "strategic collusion" with the US and Japan.

       It claimed that the current situation was "teetering on the edge of a face-off" and threatened "war may be triggered at any time."

       Taiwan's Defence Minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, said current tensions were the worst in 40 years.

       He also predicted that Beijing would be ready to launch a full-scale invasion of his country by 2025.

       The Defence Minister told the China Times on Wednesday: “By 2025 China will bring the cost and attrition to its lowest.

       "It has the capacity now, but it will not start a war easily, having to take many other things into consideration."

       Beijing claims Taiwan as a province of China and has vowed to retake it, by force if necessary.

       READ MORE: China ready for 'full scale Taiwan invasion' by 2025

       The Chinese Government has accused Taiwan's democratically elected Government of being separatists.

       Taiwan says that it is a sovereign nation and its President, Tsai Ing-wen, has insisted that the country will do “whatever it takes” to defend itself.

       She also warned: “If Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace.”

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       A Chinese victory would show “authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy," she added.

       Taiwan's parliament is currently reviewing a T$240bn ($8.6bn) special defence budget bill, as it seeks to beef up its defences.

       Roughly two-thirds would be spent on anti-ship weapons such as land-based missile systems, including a T$148.9bn plan to mass-produce homegrown missiles and “high-performance” ships.