Taiwan is working with the US on strengthening its asymmetric warfare capabilities by acquiring cruise missiles and naval mines to better deter an invasion by China’s military, Taiwan’s Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim announced on Wednesday (August 12).
During a video conference hosted by the Hudson Institute and centre for American Progress on Wednesday, Hsiao was asked to elaborate on Taiwan’s plans to develop its asymmetric capabilities to deter communist China from attacking. Hsiao responded by saying that the cornerstone of Taiwan’s defense is its asymmetric capabilities, which she defined as “cost-effective but lethal enough to become deterrents, to make any consideration of an invasion very painful.â€
Hsiao said that Taiwan is currently coordinating with the US on acquiring coastal defense cruise missiles that would be designed to complement Taiwan’s domestically built Hsiung Feng missile system. She said the country’s military is also working on procuring underwater sea mines to better defend against amphibious landings.
The envoy then said that beyond hardware, the country needs to modernise its military, which includes strengthening its reserves. She said the reserves will not only be involved in humanitarian disaster relief but also strengthen their wartime capabilities as a “last resort defense in our homeland.â€
Hsiao stated that another important part of Taiwan’s military restructuring is enhancing its cybersecurity and cyberwarfare capabilities. She said a critical aspect of this is the recruitment, training, and retention of “cybertalent.â€
Lastly, the representative said that President Tsai Ing-wen is placing emphasis on modernising military management, and she highlighted improvements in recruiting professional talent. She asserted that military careers have started to become “more attractive to talented people in our society.â€
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3986414
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Category: Taiwan
