PENGHU, Taiwan: The Penghu Islands, a popular tourist destination known for their clear beaches and coral reefs, could become one of the first targets if China launches an invasion of Taiwan, according to senior Taiwanese security officials and military experts.

Located about 50 kilometers off Taiwan's southwest coast, Penghu has a highly important military position. The island group consists of around 90 islands and small islets and is home to about 110,000 people. Thousands of Taiwanese troops are stationed there and are preparing for a possible conflict with China.

Earlier this month, before sunrise, Taiwanese soldiers carried out a tank exercise in the darkness. The exercise was part of Taiwan's preparations for a possible Chinese attack. If Beijing sends military forces towards Taiwan, troops based in Penghu could find themselves among the first Taiwanese forces to face the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Taiwan believes that keeping control of Penghu could help its military slow or challenge a Chinese invasion fleet moving towards the main island. Security experts said China would have to either capture Penghu or destroy the island group's long-range missile systems if it wanted to move its forces safely towards Taiwan.

Su Tzu-yun, a researcher at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said Chinese forces could not simply ignore the islands. "That forces the PLA to attack Penghu before it can attack Taiwan," he said.

Taiwan could also use Penghu to strike Chinese military forces before they cross the Taiwan Strait. A senior Taiwanese official said longer-range weapons, including Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, could be placed on the islands. Such weapons could threaten Chinese ships and military forces gathering along the Chinese coast before an invasion even began.

The official, who spoke anonymously, said Penghu's loss would have serious consequences for Taiwan. If China captured the islands, he said, the entire Taiwan Strait would effectively come under Chinese control.

Taiwan has therefore increased its efforts to strengthen Penghu's defenses. The government has also introduced programs to improve the islands' civilian population's ability to cope with war or other major emergencies.

China has been rapidly expanding and modernizing its military and has not ruled out using force to take control of Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan part of China, while Taiwan has its own democratically elected government and says its future should be decided by its people.

The dispute is also part of the wider strategic rivalry between China and the United States over influence in the Asia-Pacific region. U.S. officials have said Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed the PLA to be ready for a possible Taiwan operation by 2027.

China's Defense Ministry, while not responding to questions about Penghu, has previously criticized Taiwan's efforts to strengthen the islands, and warned that Taiwan could face severe consequences if it starts a war.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry declined to discuss specific plans for defending Penghu, while the Pentagon also did not respond to questions.

A military exercise held last year involving retired U.S., Taiwanese and Japanese officers highlighted the risks facing the islands. In the war game, China launched surprise long-range attacks against military and infrastructure targets across Taiwan. Penghu was then captured by Chinese forces only one day after the attacks began.

The rapid loss of the islands surprised Taiwanese participants in the exercise, which was organized by a Taipei-based think tank, according to a summary report reviewed by Reuters.

However, some military analysts believe Penghu could put up strong resistance in a real conflict.

Ian Easton of the U.S. Naval War College, who studies Chinese invasion plans, said he expected the islands to be difficult for Chinese forces to capture. "My guess is that if the terrible crunch ever comes, the PLA will find these islands a tough nut to crack," he said.