Taiwan can't afford to cede to China any inch of the approach to Taiwan. Taiwan must arm up and be prepared to fight as if their lives depend on it--because they do.
I appreciate this determination to fight China:
Sea control is also listed as one of Taiwan’s priorities in resisting a Chinese invasion across the Taiwan Strait, with the document reiterating Taiwan’s guiding principle for foiling an invasion: “resist the enemy on the opposite shore, attack it at sea, destroy it in the littoral area, and annihilate it on the beachhead.”
Yes. Fight the Chinese everywhere:
Taiwan's defense problems are far greater than they were when the Taiwan Strait was an insurmountable barrier to Chinese invasion. But Taiwan still needs to defeat the Chinese in battle to retain their independence. There is no cheap asymmetrical way to defeat China. Taiwan must raise the costs of invasion at every part of the combat spectrum, from invasion to resistance, to deter China.
And I hope this (from the initial story) is achieved:
The QDR said Taiwan’s transition to an all-volunteer force has helped the military reach its manning goal, and the Ministry of National Defense will now focus on improving personnel and training quality.
I've been worried about the quality of the Taiwanese army troops. They simply must be tough and willing to fight on under the shadow of China's growing power.
Taiwan has long relied on America for the ultimate defense of their island democracy. But the geography of a close China with the initiative to mass forces quickly while America must gather forces from around the globe puts that assumption into doubt:
In simulated combat in which China attempts to invade Taiwan, the results are sobering and the United States often loses, said David Ochmanek, a former senior Defense Department official who helps run war games for the Pentagon at the RAND Corp. think tank.
Taiwan now has a role in inflicting enough casualties on China, containing a Chinese bridgehead, and holding on long enough for America to arrive in decisive strength.
Taiwan can defeat China. Or even deter China. But Taiwan must be a hard target. So Taiwan had best spend much more money on defense. The stakes are high.
