Taiwan is “racing against the clock” to reform its defenses, New Power Party (NPP) legislators and experts said yesterday, cautioning against politicizing the issue.
“Defense reform cannot wait any longer,” NPP caucus whip Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) told a news conference in Taipei.
Short, medium and long-term goals are needed, along with better public communication, Chiu said.
Photo: CNA
The indigenous shipbuilding program cannot keep facing delays, as Taiwan’s aging warships cannot compete with China’s ships, which are only a decade old on average, he said.
Volunteer soldier training must also be improved, especially as China steps up its military intimidation, he added, criticizing reports of army privates being ordered to practice songs rather than train.
“Our soldiers’ time is precious,” Chiu said.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, agreed about the nation’s outdated warships, saying the budget should be increased.
Taiwan’s new-generation ships would be 6,000-tonne vessels propelled by a combination of gas and diesel engines, better capable of countering China’s gray-zone tactics, Su said.
The war in Ukraine and China’s recent drills show that warfare is no longer limited to traditional armed conflict, but also involves psychological, economic and other types of warfare, NPP Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) said.
Pro-China parties in Taiwan are also fostering a sense of defeatism, she said, adding that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has even sent its vice chairman to China, leaving Taiwanese confused.
The Ministry of National Defense should be more active than it has been and share as much as it can with the public, she said, recommending regular news conferences and public announcements of Chinese maneuvers, as well as timely reactions to public concerns.
These could pre-empt misinformation from China and ensure that Taiwanese do not rely on other countries to learn about what is happening at home, she added.
Former minister of national defense Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) called on politicians to extend conscription to one year as soon as possible, instead of waiting until after local elections later this year, as the nation is “racing against the clock” to bolster its defenses.
“Taiwan’s security cannot be subject to electoral or political considerations,” he said.
He also urged President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to hold a news conference detailing Taiwan’s “bottom line” for the global community.
As missiles flying overhead could mistakenly fall on Taiwanese territory, the president must clarify the nation’s stance, or other nations could doubt that the government has a strategy, he added.
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