Taiwanese must develop the resolve to work together to defend the nation, former chief of the general staff admiral Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明) said, while proposing a “homeland defense force” to provide small-arms training to the public.
The strategy would help discourage the Chinese Communist Party from attempting to invade Taiwan, Lee told the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) in an interview published on Saturday.
Taiwanese generally have become more concerned about national defense and security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, he said, adding that Ukraine’s routing of the Russian military in its capital, Kyiv, and the recent start of its counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine show that asymmetric warfare can effectively counter an invasion.
Photo: Chang Chia-juei, Taipei Times
“What has impressed me most about Ukraine is that Ukrainians’ willingness to fight is greater than that of Russians,” he said.
“Taiwanese must overcome their ideological differences and show a willingness to unite in the defense of the country,” he added.
Lee said the persistence of the Taliban, and its indomitable will to fight, eventually resulted in pushing the US out of Afghanistan, which showed that it was possible to defend against a much more powerful military.
If the government provides drones, anti-armor rockets, grenades and other small arms to the general public during an invasion, along with training on how to use them, Taiwanese could help the military resist a Chinese attack, he said.
Statements from CIA Director William Burns and former head of the US Indo-Pacific Command admiral Philip Davidson that China would attempt an invasion of Taiwan by 2027 were “not opinions,” but based on assessments made on intelligence that should be taken seriously, Lee said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would want to fulfill ideas laid out in his vision of the “Chinese dream” before his expected third term ends in 2032, and part of that would include greater aggression by the Chinese military, Lee said.
“Taiwanese must not think about whether China will attempt invasion, but instead about when it will attempt to invade,” he said.
The government must start preparations by buying large numbers of smaller arms suitable for asymmetric warfare, which it appears to be doing, as it passed a special budget for the procurement of weapons systems that would enhance sea and air-combat capabilities, he said.
Despite the huge gap in defense resources across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan could effectively defend itself if it aims not for air and sea control, but air and sea denial, he said.
Citing the US’ reform of its Marine Corps, which are transitioning from a focus on sustained land operations to be a naval expeditionary force, Lee said Taiwan’s military must anticipate defense needs and begin preparations as soon as possible.
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