The government is using integrated diplomacy to build a “moat” around Taiwan, in the face of China’s authoritarian expansion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said.
Lin made the remarks during a book launch of the Chinese translation of The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan, edited by former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, in Taipei on Friday.
The book says that preventing war is more affordable than waging one, citing the importance of learning from recent failures in deterrence in international relations, while outlining practical steps that Taiwan, the US, Japan, Australia and Europe can take to collectively deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
At the event, Pottinger said deterrence is much cheaper than war, so Taiwan should leverage the natural barriers of the Taiwan Strait and strengthen its asymmetric defense capabilities.
He also said that Taiwan, the US and their allies should send a clear message of deterrence with the “boiling moat” concept — a strategy tailored to Taiwan’s environment by turning the Taiwan Strait into an impenetrable defensive barrier in combination with a proactive, multinational military coalition — to ensure that China would not attempt an invasion, as the risk would be too high.
Lin in his attending speech said that China is attempting to project its authoritarianism into the East and South China seas and the Taiwan Strait.
“China’s expansion is not a response to threats or provocations from Taiwan or other democracies around the world, but rather the action of a dictatorship consolidating power,” he said.
Through analyzing Adolf Hitler in the lead-up to World War II and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Pottinger in the book showed that “a dictator’s desires are never satisfied, with history repeatedly proving that appeasement cannot yield lasting peace,” Lin said.
A Chinese invasion or blockade of Taiwan would have catastrophic consequences for the world and devastate the international order, so safeguarding Taiwan is about ensuring the best interests of all democracies, Lin said.
While Taiwan welcomes the support of democratic countries, such as the recent US-Japan-South Korea joint leaders’ statement that demonstrated their commitment to safeguarding a secure and open Indo-Pacific region, the Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted that “elevating Taiwan’s combat readiness and its people’s resolve” are crucial to effective deterrence, he added.
“Taiwan must stop asking whether US troops would come to protect us,” he said, adding that “claims that bolstering Taiwan’s military armaments represents a form of provocation must also cease.”
Doing so simply falls into China’s trap, wasting valuable time on debates instead of enhancing self-defense capabilities, he said.
Defense reforms are in progress, including reintroducing one year of mandatory military service and strengthening reservist training, he said, adding that President William Lai (賴清德) has also established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee and recently pledged to increase defense spending to more than 3 percent of GDP this year.
“Protecting our nation is our responsibility,” Lin said. “Only by enhancing our self-defense capabilities and aligning Taiwan’s values with our allies’ interests can Taiwan be worthy of receiving allies’ assistance.”
Lin said that he is pushing to advance the concept of “integrated diplomacy” — built on three pillars: values-based diplomacy, economic diplomacy and alliance-based diplomacy.
“These pillars correspond to the roles that Taiwan plays in the three-pronged ‘chain’ strategy that I have put forward — Taiwan’s presence in the democratic values chain, in non-red supply chains and along the first island chain,” he said.
Regarding the “non-red” economic and industrial supply chains, Taiwan is home to cutting-edge information and communications technology and chip production capabilities, and Lai has put forward the concept of a democratic semiconductor supply chain, so Taiwan can work with other democracies to strengthen economic resilience and foster mutual prosperity, he said.
Lin said the democratic values chain represents Taiwan upholding the rules-based international order and working with democratic nations to staunchly protect shared values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law.
Lin said that Taiwan’s core position along the first island chain means it is integral to the US’ and its allies’ Indo-Pacific geopolitical strategies, and Taiwan would continue to bolster its self-defense capabilities to counter the threat of China’s authoritarian expansion.
“Peace comes through strength,” and “Taiwan will continue to engage in close cooperation with allies and like-minded partners to contribute to regional security and stability, and transform the Taiwan Strait into a moat that China cannot cross,” he said.
Additional reporting by Fang Wei-li
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