Taiwan Defense Minister: "Will Fully Respond to Chinese Invasion... Do Not Wish for War"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] Taiwan's Minister of National Defense emphasized that they will respond fully in the event of a Chinese invasion. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense also announced that it will take stronger measures in response to China's repeated military aircraft and coastal provocations, further escalating military tensions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

According to local media such as Taiwan's Central News Agency and United Daily News on the 14th, Taiwan's Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng appeared before the Taiwan legislature and stated, "The Republic of China will not start a war first, but if the enemy invades, we will engage in full defense," adding, "However, we prefer to maintain the status quo as much as possible rather than war."

On the same day, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense submitted a report to the Legislative Yuan stating that if Chinese military aircraft and warships excessively approach Taiwan, increasing the level of provocation, they plan to take stronger military countermeasures. The report outlined strategies including deploying military aircraft and vessels to respond to Chinese military threats in various ways, enhancing flexibility, maintaining military strength, and reducing the risk of conflict and accidents.

The reason Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has repeatedly mentioned the possibility of war is that the number of Chinese provocations around the Taiwan Strait has increased to an all-time high this year. The Chinese military has intruded into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone more than 600 times this year, with 149 of those incursions concentrated between October 1 and April.

The Chinese government claims that conducting military exercises frequently around Taiwan aims to counter Taiwan independence forces and external interference, asserting that these are legitimate actions to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The day before, the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council, a Chinese government department related to Taiwan, emphasized that the current tension is caused by the Taiwan opposition party Democratic Progressive Party colluding with foreign forces to provoke Taiwan independence, and that the Chinese military's exercises are focused on this issue.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.