Taiwan is enhancing its troop mobility in response to the heightened threat from China, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on Wednesday, amid concerns that Beijing could turn its frequent drills into an attack.
A five-day “rapid response exercise” began on Monday to train the forces of democratically-governed Taiwan to quickly mobilise against any attack by China or grey-zone harassment designed to test and exhaust Taiwan’s armed forces.
The start of the exercise coincided with China’s dispatch of 59 military planes and other warships to areas near Taiwan on the grounds that it was “punishment” for Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s continued promotion of “separatism”.
‘Prepare For The Worst’
“For the People’s Liberation Army, turning drills into an attack doesn’t take as much time as we imagined in the past,” Koo told parliament in answer to lawmakers’ questions.
“(We) must be able to gather crucial signs of alerts and prepare for the worst from the enemy.”
The ministry’s rapid-response exercise would be based on its intelligence and threat assessments, Koo added.
“Without such vigilance, if something really happens, (we) will not be ready for combat.”
China Accused Of Normalising Drills
In the drills, troops set up anti-landing barriers near a key port just outside Taiwan’s capital of Taipei, and deployed surface-to-air missile systems at strategic sites, video from the defence ministry showed.
Taiwan’s security officials have said China was trying to normalise drills near Taiwan, carying out what it calls “joint combat readiness patrols” using warplanes and navy vessels every seven to 10 days on average.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, has stepped up military and political pressure on Taiwan in recent years.
Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims, saying only its people can decide their future.
(With inputs from Reuters)
