Taiwan’s second Quadrennial Defense Review was submitted to the Legislature by the ROC Ministry of National Defense March 13, a key step in ensuring long-term operational capabilities of the nation’s armed forces.
“The review is now an institutionalized procedure, confirming the transparency of military policies and existence of an all-out defense consensus,” MND Minister Kao Hua-chu said.
“It aims to build an elite and strong armed forces capable of deterring threats, preventing conflicts and ensuring public safety, social stability and national security.”
Under the National Defense Act, the ministry is required to submit a QDR outlining military policy, combat readiness and armament status to the Legislature within 10 months of the presidential inauguration.
The 70-page review comprises four chapters addressing security environment and national defense challenges; national defense policy and strategic guidance; joint war fighting capabilities and readiness; and defense organization and transformation.
Security issues highlighted in the QDR include sovereignty disputes over islands in the East and South China Seas, the threat posed by North Korea, a rebalancing of U.S. military power in Asia, and
mainland China’s refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan despite vastly-improved cross-strait relations.
Domestic defense challenges span a number of key areas such as budget restrictions and demographic changes, the review added.
On the subject of Beijing’s proposed Cross-strait military security confidence building measures, the QDR states that the government’s mainland China policy is focused putting cultural exchanges and economics before politics, while prioritizing issues that are urgent or easily solved.
Objective and subjective conditions for discussing military security confidence building measures are not yet ripe, and the MND will carefully assess the feasibility of such a proposal in accordance with government policy, according to the review. (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw