“The development of equipment must be long-range, precise, and mobile, so that the enemy can sense that we are prepared as soon as they dispatch their troops,” he added, referring to Taiwan’s missile capability.

In a written report to legislators to accompany Chiu’s appearance, the ministry said both medium- and long-range missiles were being used in intercept drills at a key test facility on Taiwan’s southeastern coast.

Chiu declined to give details of how far Taiwan’s missiles could reach, something the government has always keep well under wraps.

Taiwan offered an unusually stark assessment in its annual report on the mainland’s military, saying they could “paralyse” the island’s defences and were able to fully monitor its deployments.

Chiu said it was important that Taiwan’s people were aware of the danger facing them.

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Asked what the mainland would target first in the event of a war, Chiu answered that it would be Taiwan’s command and communications abilities.

“On this the Chinese Communists’ abilities have rapidly increased. They can disrupt our command, control, communications and intelligence systems, for example with fixed radar stations certainly being attacked first,” he said.

“So we must be mobile, stealthy and able to change positions.”

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President Tsai Ing-wen has made bolstering and modernising Taiwan’s defences a priority, to turn the island into a “porcupine” that is hard to attack.

Taiwan has complained for months of repeated mainland military activity near it, particularly of air force jets entering the island’s air defence zone.