Taiwan’s Preparation Against Beijing’s Military Attacks

Abstract

How to defend Taiwan against possible or imminent military attacks from China is a pivotal issue for 23 million people living on the island and a daunting task for the armed forces of Taiwan. Taiwan’s political and military leaders are faced with the following challenges: (1) China’s ever-increasing modernization of hi-tech weapon systems; (2) China’s adoption of new strategies and tactics—including a series of exercises aimed at paralyzing Taiwan’s key economic, political, and military installations and putting Taiwan’s key interests in grave danger; and (3) China’s attempts to force Taiwan to come to China’s political terms for final settlement of enduring cross-Strait disputes. Taiwanese political and military leaders have thus engaged in a series of upgrades to Taiwan’s defensive capabilities in the last decades in order to reassure both domestic and international communities that Taiwan not only possesses determination but also the ability to deter and defeat any future Chinese military attacks.