Taiwan is planning to halve the number of troops deployed on three island groups near China, a report said Wednesday, amid easing tensions between the once bitter rivals.
The military is considering reducing the number of soldiers stationed on the Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu islands to fewer than 10,000, the Liberty Times said, citing unnamed top military officials.
The move is aimed at making up for a shortage of ground troops defending the main Taiwan island following recent downsizing of the armed forces, the report said.
I've always figured that the PLA would bypass these outposts for a direct assault on Taiwan if it came to war. In that case, any troops on the near-mainland islands would simply watch the war and make no contribution to Taiwan's defense. I've long believed Taiwan should reduce the garrisons.
A tripwire is fine, really, as a Taiwanese version of West Berlin. Hold the places, but don't rely on the forces there for your main defense.
