The Global Firepower Web site has published the World Military Strength Rankings for this year. Among the 137 countries in the list, Taiwan is ranked 22nd, representing combat capabilities that are quite strong.
There is a considerable gap between Taiwan and the top five countries on the list, a difference that is often ridiculed by opposition politicians, who say that defeat would be all but certain if Taiwan had to cross swords with a big military power.
Little do they know that when comparing military strength among nations, there is a crucial determining factor that is often overlooked by people in general, but is considered very important by big Western powers — the extent of corruption in military affairs.
In theory and in practice, corruption hurts economic growth and can shake an administration’s foundations.
Among all government departments, corruption in connection with military affairs has the greatest negative effects because it can cause financial loss and, more seriously, jeopardize human lives, as it affects soldiers and the public.
This is why all advanced Western countries, without exception, view stamping out military corruption as an administrative priority for fear that severe corruption would make military officials susceptible to enemy coercion.
Corruption also increases motivation for departmentalism and self-interest in military departments.
If that is the case, deploying and coordinating combat forces during wartime becomes more difficult, and might even lead to the intentional creation of obstacles, which would weaken a country’s military strength and make any investments in military equipment futile.
A uncorrupt military cannot be maintained solely through psychological warfare education or moral persuasion. The implementation of a comprehensive anti-corruption system by a dedicated unit that focuses on all major issues long-term is required.
This effort should be directed at all five major aspects of national defense — personnel, finances, political, military operations and procurement — to eliminate corruption in such a way that units and individuals would not dare, want to or be able to engage in corrupt behavior.
In the Government Defense Anti-Corruption Index in 2015, a global analysis of corruption risk in defense establishments conducted by the non-governmental organization Transparency International, Taiwan was listed in “Band B” — low corruption risk — among 14 other countries, including Japan, Singapore and Australia.
Given that there were only two countries — the UK and New Zealand — listed in “Band A,” Taiwan’s achievements in military effectiveness and rooting out corruption are remarkable.
On-site evaluations are being conducted around the globe for this year’s Government Defense Anti-Corruption Index.
Over the past few years, Taiwan’s national defense anti-corruption units and other relevant government agencies have been focusing on corruption in the military.
Hopefully, high-level government officials will continue to focus on military corruption on a long-term basis. This is the invisible foundation upon which the nation’s military power can be strengthened.
Tsao Yao-chun is a researcher with Transparency International-Taiwan, a supervisor at the Kaohsiung Society for Management of Technology, and an external expert on anti-corruption index evaluations of government at the Ministry of National Defense.
Translated by Chang Ho-ming
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath