The military can respond rapidly to any sudden Chinese attack with all units able to operate under a decentralized mode of command without awaiting orders from above, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report to lawmakers today.
Taiwan has repeatedly warned that China could try to suddenly shift its regular drills into active combat mode to catch the nation and its international supporters off guard.
China's military operates around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, in what Taipei says is part of a "gray zone" harassment and pressure campaign that stops short of actual combat, but is designed to wear out Taiwan's armed forces by putting them constantly on alert.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The ministry said in its report that the frequency and scale of China's military activities have increased year by year, including their regular "joint combat readiness patrols."
The military has a standard operating practice on how to raise its combat alert level in case Chinese exercises move "from drill to war," the ministry added.
"If the enemy suddenly launches an attack, all units are to implement 'distributed control' without waiting for orders and, under a 'decentralized' mode of command, carry out their combat missions," it said, without giving details.
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is scheduled to take questions from lawmakers on the report tomorrow.
China has also been practicing how to attack Taiwan, and sending its warships further out into the Pacific and down toward Australia and New Zealand, the ministry added.
"The Chinese communists have never renounced the use of force to annex Taiwan and continue to intensify joint training across services, shifting from purely military drills to routine, multi-service, real-combat-oriented exercises," the report said.
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