The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday announced the establishment of a “people’s response task force” as it urged the government to enhance national security.
China is using multiple methods — including extended military exercises, diplomacy, trade bans and cyberattacks — to pressure Taiwan after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last week, the party told a news conference in Taipei.
As China’s actions have highlighted Taiwan’s national security problems, the party is establishing a national task force to give a voice to the people and companies that have been affected by Beijing’s actions, the party said.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
TPP Legislator Andy Chiu (邱臣遠) said that China’s military drills simulating a blockade have forced civilian ships and planes to take alternative routes, and if the drills are normalized, it could lead to a crisis in transportation and energy imports.
The Web sites of the Presidential Office, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as private companies, were targeted by massive cyberattacks by Chinese hackers last week, highlighting Taiwan’s cybersecurity issues, Chiu said.
When a few Chinese missiles flew over Taiwan on Thursday last week, the defense ministry did not sound air-raid sirens, nor did it send warning text messages to residents, so many people suspect that the defense ministry was covering up the truth, Chiu said, adding that media firms reported the imbalance of the military power of both sides.
The government must examine these issues and accelerate improvements, he said.
The party urged the government to “reference the US National Guard system and improve Taiwan’s reserve force preparation and mobilization system,” he said, adding that “the defense ministry should boost its preparations and stockpiling, and other agencies should coordinate and prepare air defense evacuation and refuge facilities.”
Moreover, the defense ministry should “improve military equipment for individual soldiers and enhance training for urban warfare,” and “accelerate arms purchases to improve the capabilities of the navy and air force.”
TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) said that the government should also provide information on air defense evacuation and refuge facilities, as well as emergency response measures people should take if an air-raid siren goes off.
It should amend the Civilian Defense Manual as soon as possible, Tsai added.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare should assess whether the nation would have enough medical resources if a war breaks out, she said.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS