The US has begun taking concrete naval action to deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan, bolstering joint defense in the Indo-Pacific region, Institute for National Defense and Security Research research fellow Su Tzu-yu (蘇紫雲) said on Saturday.
Su made the comment in response to US Admiral Stephen Koehler’s statement that the US Pacific Fleet’s mission to deter aggression in the South China Sea encompasses Taiwan.
Koehler, the commander of the fleet, was speaking at the 15th annual Center for Strategic and International Studies’ South China Sea Conference in Hawaii on Tuesday last week.
Photo: Reuters
The US Department of Defense in March said that deterring Chinese aggression against Taiwan was a top priority, Su said.
Koehler’s statement signifies that the US has advanced from policy and strategy to combat planning, establishing concrete military directives, he said.
US forces stationed in South Korea have indicated they would intervene in the event of a situation in the Taiwan Strait, further confirming that Taiwan is a part of the US’ military mission, he added.
This is a series of coordinated measures to gradually deter aggression and assist in the defense of Taiwan, Su said.
Although US President Donald Trump is outwardly friendly to the leaders of China, Russia and North Korea, he relies on the US Department of Defense and the US Department of State to bolster Washington’s commitment to defending Taiwan, he said, adding that it showed that US strategy has shifted toward concrete deterrence.
The US’ actions also align with Japan’s “single theater” concept, which views the four major conflict points in East Asia as one major challenge to encourage allied nations to respond together, Su said.
Taiwan is central to this concept, because its fall into the hands of China would be a fatal breach in the entire defense of the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
“Taiwan is too important,” not just due to Taiwan Semiconducting Manufacturing Co (台積電) and democratic values, but because of its strategic location, he added.
More than 50 percent of global shipping passes close to Taiwan, so a disruption would affect global balance, Su said.
This is why British and Japanese military vessels have passed through the Taiwan Strait three times recently, showing their support for Taiwan, he said.
Reacting to British patrol ships and Koehler’s statement, China has deployed more than 70 military aircraft to the Taiwan Strait, displaying anger at other countries protecting Taiwan, Su said.
The British navy’s HMS Prince of Wales would arrive in the Indo-Pacific region at the end of this month and might pass through the Taiwan Strait to defend the right to freedom of navigation, he said.
Taiwan should make its tracking of Chinese warships public, as China’s Shandong and Liaoning aircraft carriers have been active in the East China Sea and Western Pacific recently, Su said.
This would increase public confidence by making national defense more transparent, and help allied nations work together to deter Chinese aggression, he added.
A free exhibition aimed at teaching the public about air-raid shelters and basic emergency personal protection skills today opened on the concourse level of the Taipei MRT's Ximen Station. The event, organized by the National Police Agency, aims to raise awareness about disaster preparedness ahead of nationwide air raid drills scheduled from July 15 to 18, which are part of broader urban resilience exercises. The exhibition outlines the recommended actions people should take depending on whether they are indoors, commuting or outdoors when air-raid sirens sound. It also teaches people how to equip air-raid shelters and pack emergency "go bags," with displays
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
An electric bus charging facility at Taipei Metro’s Beitou Depot officially opened yesterday with 22 charging bays to serve the city’s 886 electric buses. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a ceremony to mark the opening of the facility that the city aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030. The number of electric buses has grown from about 650 last year to 886 this year and is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, Chiang said. Setting up the charging station in a metro depot optimizes land and energy use, as the metro uses power mainly during the
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)