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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Defense minister outlines stance
Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng speaks at a conference in Kinmen on March 13. Photo: Military News Agency
‘LOYALTY, SERVICE’: Chiu Kuo-cheng said that ‘China hopes it can seize Taiwan in a quick operation,’ so national defense plans are focused on an asymmetric strategy
By William Hetherington / Staff writer
“Preparing to counter all possible military actions by China has become a daily practice of the ... armed forces,” Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng （邱國正） wrote in a letter to the Wall Street Journal that was published on Thursday.
The letter was in response to an op-ed the newspaper published on Oct. 25 that said an insufficient number of reservists and low troop morale would prevent Taiwan from defending itself against an attack.
“I can say proudly that our armed forces have never failed to protect the country,” Chiu wrote. “We serve our country with the highest loyalty, defending freedom and democracy so that the people of Taiwan can maintain their way of life and political system.”
Chinese military activity in the Indo-Pacific region, including its “gray zone” activities in the Taiwan Strait, has drawn the attention of the international community, he wrote.
Chiu, who was educated at the US Army War College, said that his 40 years of military experience has given him a firm understanding of Taiwan’s military capabilities.
“Our military is developing asymmetric defense strategies that take advantage of the natural buffer of the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
China hopes it can seize Taiwan in a quick operation, before a third force can interfere, he said. So we are focusing our efforts on an asymmetric defense strategy.
The military would also make use of automated systems and long-range precision weaponry, he told the newspaper.
Since it began transitioning from a conscription military to a professional, recruitment-based military in 2012, the nation’s armed forces have been focused on training elite personnel who operate complex weapons systems, Chiu said.
Taiwan’s soldiers are professional and train regularly, while base maintenance is outsourced to allow personnel to focus more on training, he said, adding that this was why the results of the annual live-fire training has improved.
The military is devising a program to coordinate the defense programs of government departments, who would help with logistics in the event of a conflict, Chiu said.
An office to handle coordination would be established by the start of next year, he added.
We have the determination and the capability to overcome the challenges we face in upholding peace and security in the region, he said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
