Taiwan’s new defence chief Wellington Koo has set out key aspects of his policy direction, including developing asymmetric warfare and seeking military financing and advice on force restructuring from the United States.
In his first policy report to the legislature on Thursday, Koo also acknowledged that US President Joe Biden’s latest remarks on whether America would step in to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by Beijing indicate Washington is sticking to its policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the issue.
“As far as I know, Biden has maintained a strategic ambiguity approach, meaning he has not clearly stated whether to send forces or not,” he said when asked by lawmakers if Biden was backing away from previous comments.
In an interview with Time magazine published on Tuesday, Biden said “it would depend on the circumstances” whether the US would use force to defend Taiwan from an attack by the People’s Liberation Army. He would “not rule out using US military force” but made a distinction between deploying ground forces versus using air and naval power.
On Thursday, Koo said that instead of relying on others, the island must focus on strengthening its own defences.
“By enhancing our self-defence capabilities and integrating into the US Indo-Pacific strategy, Taiwan aims to become an effective deterrent. This focus on self-defence capabilities is the key priority for the defence ministry,” he said.
Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory, to be reunified by force if necessary. The US, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as independent but is opposed to any unilateral change of the cross-strait status quo by force and is committed to supply defensive weapons to the self-governed island.
The PLA conducted two days of war games around the island in May as “strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces”. It came three days after William Lai Ching-te was sworn in as the island’s new leader on May 20, declaring that Taiwan and the mainland were “not subordinate to each other”. Beijing has called Lai an “obstinate separatist” and said his leadership could bring war to the island.
Asked about the conditions under which Taiwan would exercise its right to self-defence, Koo said this would happen only if the PLA attacked aircraft, ships, facilities, the island or its outer islands, or if any unauthorised aircraft entered its 12-nautical-mile airspace or waters.
“Only then will the order … be given, and a proportional self-defence counter-attack will be carried out,” he said.
Koo also announced changes to military regulations including lifting restrictions on superior officers and their deputies taking leave at the same time, allowing military personnel and their dependants to freely travel abroad, and abolishing bayonet training.
The defence minister also spoke about the military’s ongoing restructuring to counter Beijing’s threat to “rapidly seize Taiwan and prevent outside intervention”. He said the focus was on achieving “precision, mobility, lethality, dispersion, survivability and cost-effectiveness” through an asymmetric approach.
“Initiatives are under way to establish new battlefield air defence systems, high-performance naval vessels, prototype submarines, various types of drones, along with equipment like the Hsiung Feng IIE land-attack cruise missiles and Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missiles,” Koo said in his report to the legislature.
On procurement from the US, Koo listed plans to acquire Patriot III Extended Range air defence missiles, Harpoon precision firepower strike systems, Exocet missile coastal defence systems, F16V (Block 70) advanced fighters, and long-range precision weapons for air, surface and maritime targets. He also emphasised the integration of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence based on insights from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The report highlighted Taiwan’s efforts to secure financial support from the US. Through the National Defence Authorisation Act for fiscal year 2023, Taiwan received US$135 million in non-reimbursable foreign military financing, or FMF, last year.
Taiwan also received US$345 million worth of military equipment in July last year through the presidential drawdown authority.
In addition, Washington upgraded Taiwan’s status under its International Military Education and Training programme last year, allowing the island to send officers to the US for education and training at preferential rates.
In March, the US Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, providing Taiwan with at least US$300 million in FMF. An additional US$1 billion was approved in April through the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. The US State Department also approved dedicated funding for Taiwan for the first time via its FMF programme, with US$100 million in the budget for fiscal year 2025.
“The ministry is leveraging existing communication mechanisms and engaging with the US based on Taiwan’s actual defence operational needs to gradually advance force restructuring, continuously enhance defence operational resilience, and maintain regional peace and stability,” the report said.
It also set out other aspects of Koo’s policy direction, such as identifying and understanding enemy threats, conducting the annual Han Kuang exercise, and improving combat readiness through training and compulsory military service.
The report emphasised the importance of better combat resilience, civilian defence mobilisation, strengthening reserve forces, promoting defence autonomy, and prioritising the well-being of soldiers.
Analysts say Koo’s approach aligns with Washington’s strategy for Taiwan.
“This is what the US has long hoped we could do, not only to boost our defence capabilities but also to reduce the likelihood of the US sending forces to help defend us in a potential cross-strait conflict,” said Zivon Wang, a military analyst at Taipei-based think tank the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies.
He said that given the soaring tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the island’s need to rely on the United States, “there is nothing we can do but listen to the US”.
Wang added that the US was also urging other allies in the region, including Japan and South Korea, to increase their defence budgets to boost their capabilities.
Max Lo, executive director of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, said the US appears to have had a significant influence on Koo’s policy direction.
“As a civilian defence minister, Koo’s approach seems to be permeated with the US shadow, with an increasing emphasis on asymmetric strategy, mirroring the warfare dynamics observed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” he said.
“It differs from conventional warfare, including large warships and advanced fighter jets like the F-35, which are typically desired by traditional defence ministers from the military.”
Lo said the “American shadow” was likely to become more pronounced given reports of the US sending more officers to train Taiwanese soldiers and Taiwan sending officers to be trained in the United States.
SCMP
Siddhartha 