Premier not behind new defense strategy

Premier and former defense minister Tang Fei (唐飛) yesterday said he does not understand or identify with the hotly-disputed new defense strategy initiated by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), the so-called "full scale engagement with the enemy in territory outside Taiwan."

"I don't understand what it means. I have discussed the issue with President Chen. In our discussion, we did not use the term as Chen put it," Tang said.

Tang made the remarks at the floor of the legislature in response to inquiries from lawmakers over Chen's new defense strategy, which has sparked strong criticism from opposition lawmakers over its potential "feasability" and "provocative implications" against China.

Chen first publicly announced the new defense strategy as a policy priority at a speech he delivered during the 76th anniversary of the army academy on June 16.

"The so-called `engaging the enemy in territory outside Taiwan' is a term which came into existence after I left the Ministry of National Defense. If you want to know more about it, you have to ask incumbent Minister of National Defense Wu Shih-wen (伍世文)," Tang said.

"I am not clear about the term and its possible meaning. It has no established definition. But as a matter of fact, Taiwan's resources are highly concentrated. If our resources are under attack, there is little chance for us to survive the attack," he said.

"A proper defense against attack scenarios of this kind is to deny entry of the enemy into our territory as well as to hold out against the invaders in territory outside Taiwan proper."