Tony Abbott flies to Taiwan to meet with the President as an official says the country is 'preparing for WAR' with China

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has landed in Taiwan to give a speech and meet the country's president amid rising tensions with China.

Mr Abbott - who led Australia from 2013 to 2015 - will on Friday speak at the Yushan forum, a conference organised by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation. 

He will also have unofficial meetings with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. 

Mr Abbott was filmed landing at Taiwan's Taoyuan airport after flying from Singapore. He was greeted by deputy minister of foreign affairs Tien Chung-kwang (pictured together)

The Chinese aircraft have not been flying in Taiwan's air space, but its air defence identification zone or ADIZ (pictured in the yellow box), a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give it more time to respond to any threats

The visit comes after Taiwan reported 148 Chinese air force planes had flown over its air defence zone over a four day period beginning on Friday, the same day China marked a key patriotic holiday, National Day. 

On Monday Mr Wu told the ABC program China Tonight that Taiwan is preparing for war.

'The defence of Taiwan is in our own hands, and we are absolutely committed to that,' he said.

'I'm sure that if China is going to launch an attack against Taiwan, I think they are going to suffer tremendously as well.'

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke at the Yushan forum last year but made his remarks virtually from Australia due to pandemic travel restrictions.

Mr Abbott was filmed landing at Taiwan's Taoyuan airport after flying from Singapore. 

34 J-16 fighters (file image) were among 52 Chinese planes flown into Taiwan's ADIZ

Mr Tien and Mr Abbott were heard discussing lockdown rules and Covid-19 swabs in English as they walked through the terminal

He was greeted by deputy minister of foreign affairs Tien Chung-kwang and the pair were heard discussing lockdown rules and Covid-19 swabs in English as they walked through the terminal.

They also discussed Australia's new airport in western Sydney and the Liberal Democrats, a new political party set up by former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman.   

China claims Taiwan as its own territory as has vowed to take it by force if necessary while Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedoms and democracy.

The tensions are being viewed with increasing concern by the international community. 

Japan and Australia on Tuesday urged the two to talk, while the United States said it has been 'conveying clear messages' after what it described as destabilising activities by China.

Military officers hold flowers walk to pay respects to the People's Heroes Monument during a ceremony to mark Martyr's Day at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 30

Shortly before the Chinese jets appeared in the skies near Taiwan, the Beijing-owned Global Times newspaper threatened Taipei and Australia

Taiwan calls China's repeated nearby military activities 'grey zone' warfare, designed to both wear out Taiwan's forces by making them repeatedly scramble, and also to test Taiwan's responses.

'Taiwan must be on alert. China is more and more over the top,' Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters in Taipei. 

'The world has also seen China's repeated violations of regional peace and pressure on Taiwan.'

Taiwan needs to 'strengthen itself' and come together as one, he added.

'Only then will countries that want to annex Taiwan not dare to easily resort to force. Only when we help ourselves can others help us.'

The Chinese aircraft have not been flying in Taiwan's air space, but its air defence identification zone or ADIZ, a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give it more time to respond to any threats.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has made modernising the armed forces a priority, focusing on the use of new, mobile weapons to make any attack by China as costly as possible, turning Taiwan into a 'porcupine'.

In an article for the US magazine Foreign Affairs released on Tuesday, Tsai said Taiwan falling to China would trigger 'catastrophic' consequences for peace in Asia.

Tsai said Taiwan does not seek military confrontation 'but if its democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself.' 

President Tsai Ing-wen (pictured in October 2020 in Taipei) vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to guard Taiwan against invasion