Taiwan’s “peace through strength” strategy seeks to make any Chinese attempt at coercion prohibitively costly by reinforcing military deterrence, societal resilience and government continuity, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article.
Writing in the inaugural issue of Statecraft and Strategy, a quarterly journal published by the American Foreign Policy Council, Lin said the core of Taiwan’s defense approach is to eliminate any expectation in Beijing that military pressure could succeed at an acceptable cost.
Taiwan’s defense strategy is designed to counter China’s rapidly expanding military capabilities and deny the possibility of a swift takeover, he said.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Preventing a “quick seizure” scenario would also reduce the risk that delayed or fragmented international responses could embolden Beijing, he added.
To that end, Taiwan and its partners should “prepare clearly defined, trigger-based economic and political measures” that could be implemented rapidly in response to aggression, Lin said.
The nation is also working to minimize early losses and ensuring sustained operations under pressure by bolstering fuel and munitions reserves, and repair capacity, he added.
Beyond the military sphere, Taiwan is seeking to ensure the continued functioning of critical sectors such as education, healthcare, transportation and governance during a crisis, Lin said, adding that military action is often preceded by attempts to disrupt society and weaken public resolve.
“Energy, communications, logistics, healthcare and public trust are all targets an adversary will seek to disrupt,” he said.
In response to that threat, Taiwan has been bolstering redundancy across essential systems, including energy, telecommunications, transportation, and emergency and medical services, while ensuring stable access to key civilian and military supplies, Lin said.
Demonstrating the ability to sustain daily life amid disruption, maintain effective defense and coordinate closely with international partners would make any attempt to alter the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait impractical, Lin said, adding that such a strategy is key to preserving peace.
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