Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

air-launched missiles, AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship

BEIJING, March 8 news: The United States 5, Chi 库詹姆斯敦 Foundation entitled “America’s role in Taiwan’s defense transformation,” the article said Taiwan’s military tried to re-define its defense strategy, so that it has a strategic framework to solve the problem of cross-strait military imbalance, while optimizing the deployment of its scarce resources. To this end, Taiwan will continue to seek to purchase a number of advanced weapons from the United States.

article said, January 29, 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a $ 6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including radar and related equipment is equipped with the “Patriot Advanced Capability -3 “(PAC-3) missiles, UH-60M” Black Hawk “helicopter,” Osprey “class minesweeper, the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) terminals and” Harpoon “anti-ship missiles, training missile. U.S. move strongly opposed by the Chinese – the Chinese side through the suspension of military exchanges between China and the U.S., the threat of sanctions and arms sales to Taiwan and the U.S. company, etc. to the United States to retaliate, it is shown even more confidence than ever before.

However, although many of the media and the authorities of China on Sino-US relations these reactions the potential impact of the extensive coverage, but they ignore a problem with this equally important – how the future defense of Taiwan transformation and how to get weapons from the United States. Since 2008, Ma Ying-jeou took office, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have been carried out on behalf of four dialogues on the mainland and Taiwan, direct, financial cooperation, food safety, the mainland tourists to visit Taiwan, and law enforcement cooperation signed 12 agreements. Moreover, both parties are preparing for the fifth round of dialogue to continue on cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) to consult the relevant details.

However, to ease cross-strait relations in Taiwan caused some internal debate, the arguments focused on Taiwan to buy US-made defense transformation and required a lot of money on weapons. Some people think that Taiwan still needs to modernize its armed forces, and to purchase advanced weapons from the United States, because the enhanced defense posture to effectively support the Taipei government to protect their own interests while building a stable and constructive cross-strait relations efforts undertaken. In this regard, in December 2009, Ma Ying-jeou said in an interview: “(both sides) to ease tensions between the United States depends largely on the continued supply of weapons to Taiwan and if Taiwan lacks sufficient defense to protect its own security force, then it can not be assured towards the negotiating table. “Moreover, the United States has also stressed that arms sales to Taiwan in the mediation of cross-strait relations can make the process more self-confidence, and help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

article said, referring to future arms sales to Taiwan, officials said the plan, to buy weapons from the United States is to complete the transformation of Taiwan an integral part of the defense. According to Taiwan’s “defense minister” Gao Hua-chu said: “In the future, Taiwan will continue to buy more weapons from the U.S. to set up a small but excellent deterrent force.” To this end, Taiwan will need to purchase some of the important weapons. Indeed, the latest list of arms sales to Taiwan does not include two of the most expensive and possibly most controversial weapons: adopted in 2001, “Bush, George W ·” diesel-electric submarines and F-16 C/D fighters – Taiwan This alternative plan to use some of its aging fighter aircraft.

while others think that the people of Taiwan, with the gradual warming cross-strait relations, Taiwan has been no purchase, such as submarines and F-16 C/D fighters and other expensive weapons. They claim that with a more stable relationship between mainland, Taiwan can not affect their own safety, reduce defense spending. Although the transformation of Taiwan’s defense is understandable, but there are still some people worry that the mainland in this area will provide support for the Ma government. In addition, Taiwan’s major defense policy analyst Huang Chieh-cheng (Alexander Huang) is clear: “to restore cross-strait relations weaken its defense of Taiwan’s modern internal support.” And, by the impact of financial difficulties, some of the people of Taiwan began to propose a reduction in defense spending Even in the mainland’s growing military power in the case. In this regard, some observers made it clear that although the cross-strait economic relations can be enhanced, but Taiwan is still very difficult to guard, because the PLA is still increasing its deployment of tactical missiles opposite Taiwan, and the Beijing government was still unwilling to give up military uniform Taiwan’s approach.

In addition, Huang Chieh-cheng also added: “The ease cross-strait relations to some extent reduced the people of Taiwan to the mainland military threat alert to existing and growing cross-strait military balance in favor of attention to the mainland. However, at the same time, gradually warming cross-strait relations but also for the construction of Taiwan’s defense created some opportunities it brings one important advantage is to provide Taiwan with a long-awaited relaxation of the military alert, to concentrate on a comprehensive restructuring time.

article further pointed out that Taiwan’s defense in the transition process, there are three very important work: to re-consider Taiwan’s defense strategy and the development of innovative asymmetrical combat capability, to address the growing cross-strait military imbalances; to enhance Taiwan’s armed forces to perform disaster relief and humanitarian assistance; respond to the transition towards the all-volunteer military service, the potential cost, while Taiwan’s official reason for the improvement of Taiwan’s defense strategy as a priority, because Taiwan needs able to solve a cross-strait military imbalance and optimize the deployment of its scarce resources to the strategic framework.

Moreover, Taiwan’s defense officials also reiterated Taiwan’s defense transformation process, the “innovation” and “non- symmetry “of the concept of the importance of September 2009, the US-Taiwan defense industry conference, the U.S. Department of Defense for Asia Pacific Security Affairs Assistant Minister Gray also stressed the asymmetric Gerson approach and innovative thinking in addressing the challenges of Taiwan’s defense importance.

article said, not only Taiwan’s armed forces ready to respond to conventional challenges, but also the implementation of disaster assistance, humanitarian relief and counter-terrorism and other non-traditional security tasks. In this regard, although senior officials in Taiwan insisted that enhance the ability of operations is still Taiwan’s most important task, but they also noted the importance of non-traditional security tasks, and, to prepare for disaster assistance has clearly become the Taiwan military’s core mission. In this regard, some Critics said that with the cross-strait tensions to ease, natural disasters, the threat posed to Taiwan by the PLA to be greater than the threat.

Finally, while Taiwan’s armed forces outside of the transition towards the all-volunteer military service concerns relatively small, but it is Taiwan’s armed forces to face the next few years one of the important challenges in view of this transition on the future of Taiwan’s armed forces, an important influence, it has been identified as one of Taiwan’s top priorities as the part of the transition, the size of Taiwan’s armed forces will be reduced to 215 000 people or so, authorities will provide soldiers with higher salaries and better living conditions, so startling and retain highly qualified military professionals.

importantly, to promote all of these areas, Taiwan needs the U.S. support. Although China’s growing importance to the United States, and easing cross-strait relations is a much welcome improvement, but the U.S. position on Taiwan security support (including but not limited to arms sales to Taiwan) is still an important goal of defense transformation, and, the United States also should enhance cross-strait ties as a defensive posture to help Taiwan to enhance its opportunities.

Perhaps more importantly, the U.S. security assistance to provide to Taiwan the confidence they need to make when in the face of mainland China to pursue a more realistic policy, without having to worry about both sides in seeking to resolve differences by program threat. In addition, the U.S. support the use of force can prevent the threat of mainland China’s attempt to force Taiwan into submission and these are the main reason for the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, despite Beijing’s view that the real intention of the United States would undermine cross-strait reconciliation and curb the rise of China.

article concludes that the United States and Taiwan, the current challenge is to formulate relevant policies to stabilize the two sides to ease the situation, so that Taiwan can benefit without having to worry about damage to its core premise, to resolve differences with China Strengthening dialogue is an important way to achieve this goal, but a stable and constructive cross-strait environment, Taiwan’s defense transformation is particularly important, even in cross-strait relations develop toward a more constructive when the fact , Taiwan’s senior officials emphasized that the maintenance of a reliable defense and deterrence capabilities are further cross-strait tensions to ease a prerequisite to the future, if the defense of the Taiwan Strait economic cooperation beyond the end, both sides begin to address more sensitive, more controversial political and security issues, U.S. support for Taiwan’s defense reform will become more important, therefore, cooperation between Taiwan and the United States must continue to meet the most pressing defense transformation war. Compiled: Spring