Plans by Taiwan to replace the military presence on the Pratas (東沙) and Spratly (南沙) islands in the South China Sea with a civilian force is not strategically justifiable, military analysts say. This is despite claims that this force could be effective for the handling of fishing disputes with China or pirate attacks in the region.
"Unless the government has decided to abandon the two islands, which are a long away from Taiwan proper, it should not confuse their strategic value with their tactical uses," said military analyst Su Chin-chiang (
"Replacing troops with a police force is equal to downgrading the strategic value of the two islands. It should not happen," Su said. "The armed forces' job is to defend the country's territory, while the police's job is to maintain social order. It is the same in most other countries."
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI
The troop withdrawal plan is to coincide with the establishment next year of the new Coast Guard Administration, which will bring together elements of police, customs and military forces that currently protect Taiwan's shores.
Su also pointed out that police are not properly trained to defend a country's territory in case of attack and would be unable to make effective use of weapons and equipment for this purpose.
"It seems that the government plans to leave the defense of these two islands to a police force only because it thinks the armed forces cannot hold them against an invasion."
The government could have handled the matter better, Su said, if they sent both troops and police to carry out their respective functions on the islands.
Lin Yu-fang (
"The plan is confusing and illogical. If the armed forces cannot defend the two islands against an invasion, the police will be even less capable of doing so," Lin said.
"If there is any meaning behind the move, it could be only that the government wants to abandon less important territories like the Pratas and Spratlys, so that it can focus its troops on defending Taiwan proper, as well as the Penghu, Matsu and Kinmen islands, in an attack by China," he said. "This is not a smart move since China will not attack the two islands if its aim is Taiwan."
"It is true that Taiwan's air force and navy do not have the ability to project their power into the South China Sea. But China does not have that ability either," Lin said. A better way to avoid a confrontation with the Chinese troops, he said, would be not to pull troops out of frontline posts but to take the initiative in peace talks.
KMT lawmaker Chen Ching-po (
"The troops on Kinmen and surrounding islets now number less than 10,000 -- a great reduction from 50,000-some at their peak," Chen said.
Minister of National Defense Tang Fei (
"The armed forces do not have the capability to defend the two islands, since they are beyond the range that the air force and navy can efficiently operate," Tang said.
"If we use a lot of energy and resources on defending the two islands, the safety of Taiwan proper and other major territories will be put at greater risk," he said.
FIREPOWER: On top of the torpedoes, the military would procure Kestrel II anti-tank weapons systems to replace aging license-produced M72 LAW launchers Taiwan is to receive US-made Mark 48 torpedoes and training simulators over the next three years, following delays that hampered the navy’s operational readiness, the Ministry of National Defense’s latest budget proposal showed. The navy next year would acquire four training simulator systems for the torpedoes and take receipt of 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, the ministry said in its budget for the next fiscal year. The torpedoes would almost certainly be utilized in the navy’s two upgraded Chien Lung-class submarines and the indigenously developed Hai Kun, should the attack sub successfully reach operational status. US President Donald Trump
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to start construction of its 1.4-nanometer chip manufacturing facilities at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) as early as October, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday, citing the park administration. TSMC acquired land for the second phase of the park’s expansion in Taichung in June. Large cement, construction and facility engineering companies in central Taiwan have reportedly been receiving bids for TSMC-related projects, the report said. Supply-chain firms estimated that the business opportunities for engineering, equipment and materials supply, and back-end packaging and testing could reach as high as
ALL QUIET: The Philippine foreign secretary told senators she would not respond to questions about whether Lin Chia-lung was in the country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that a business delegation is visiting the Philippines, but declined to say whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is part of the group, as Philippine lawmakers raised questions over Lin’s reported visit. The group is being led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin (黃昭欽), Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠) and US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) vice president Lotta Danielsson, the ministry said in a statement. However, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lin is leading the delegation of 70 people. Filinvest New Clark City Innovation Park
DEFENSIVE EDGE: The liaison officer would work with Taiwan on drones and military applications for other civilian-developed technologies, a source said A Pentagon unit tasked with facilitating the US military’s adoption of new technology is soon to deploy officials to dozens of friendly nations, including Taiwan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. The US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is to send a representative to collaborate with Taiwan on drones and military applications from the semiconductor industry by the end of the year, the British daily reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “Drones will certainly be a focus, but they will also be looking at connecting to the broader civilian and dual-use ecosystem, including the tech sector,” one source was