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.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned