Taiwan draws inspiration from Ukraine war in new defense report

Beijing, Sep 12 (EFE).- Taiwan’s army on Tuesday published its first national defense report since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in which it said that it was learning from the war in Europe and strengthening its asymmetric warfare capabilities.

Beijing is deploying hybrid warfare to target Taiwan through military coercion and “non-traditional” threats, such as “cyber and cognitive” attacks, the report noted.

“The recent Russia-Ukraine war has taught us: (1) A totalitarian regime can ignore international rules and kick off invasion for the sake of its own national interests or political assertions,” the report said.

The island’s forces “have been following a military strategic thinking of ‘resolute defense and multi-domain deterrence’” as they continue to strengthen their asymmetric warfare capabilities, it added.

Following Ukraine’s lead, Taiwan’s armed forces are also “strengthening their overall defense capabilities” by reforming its reservist system and publishing an “all-out defense handbook,” according to the report.

Last month, the island’s government proposed increasing defense spending by 3.5 percent to TWD 606.8 billion ($19 billion) in 2024 – its highest ever -, equivalent to around 2.5 percent of its GDP.

In March, amid escalating tensions with China, Taiwan extended mandatory military service from four months to one year.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a territory it considers a “rebel province” since Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) forces withdrew there in 1949 after losing the civil war with the Communists. EFE

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