The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending.
The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday.
It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama Canal, the article said.
Photo: AFP
The document said the US would adopt a “denial defense” strategy to protect Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion.
That strategy involves increasing the US’ military presence through bombers, uncrewed ships, submarines and specialty units, and strengthening the defense of US military bases in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.
The administration of former US president Joe Biden and that of Trump’s first term “characterized China as the greatest threat to the US, and postured the force to prepare for and deter conflict in the Pacific region,” the article said.
The memo also said that a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan must be prioritized over other dangers, requiring US military deployments to be reassessed with a greater focus on the Indo-Pacific region.
The US would pressure allies in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia to take on the bulk of the role in deterring Russia, North Korea and Iran, the memo said.
“China is the [US] Department [of Defense]’s sole pacing threat, and denial of a Chinese fait accompli seizure of Taiwan — while simultaneously defending the US homeland is the department’s sole pacing scenario,” Hegseth said in the memo.
The memo also called for “pressuring” Taiwan to significantly increase its defense spending.
The document is strikingly similar to a longer report published last year by the Heritage Foundation, titled “Project 2025,” the article said.
Although Trump denied that the plan was a blueprint for his second term during the election campaign, the document shows that the foundation’s plans have been deeply influential to his policies, it said.
Asked for comment, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) in Taipei yesterday said the memo showed that the US is adjusting its military strategies to focus on Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan should respond to the US’ strategic adjustments by investing more resources to bolster its capacity for self-defense, Chen said, adding that the nation should recognize the US’ strong commitment to the region and strengthen regional cooperation.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said that Hegseth’s memo, which prioritizes “deterring China’s actions to seize Taiwan,” stems from a shift in US overall strategy.
The shift introduced a “reverse Nixon” strategy, emphasizing Asia over Europe to concentrate efforts on countering China, Su said.
It also addresses China’s shift from a land-based military power to a marine power, which poses a threat to major marine trade routes, he said.
Although the expression is different in the way Hegseth’s discourse is rendered, it is similar to the US’ past promises that reiterated its commitment to Taiwan, he said.
Additional reporting by Huang Chin-hsuan
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
An SOS message in a bottle has been found in Ireland that is believed to have come from the Taiwanese captain of fishing vessel Yong Yu Sing No. 18 (永裕興18號), who has been missing without a trace for over four years, along with nine Indonesian crew members. The vessel, registered to Suao (蘇澳), went missing near Hawaii on Dec. 30, 2020. The ship has since been recovered, but the 10 crew members have never been found. The captain, surnamed Lee (李), is believed to have signed the note with his name. A post appeared on Reddit on Tuesday after a man
RSS