[ad_1]
WASHINGTON (AP) – A senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday that Taiwan’s plan to increase defense spending by $ 1.4 billion was a step in the right direction, but insufficient to ensure a resilient defense against the growing Chinese threat.
In August, the Taiwanese cabinet proposed C $ 453.4 billion (US $ 15.24 billion) in military spending for next year, up from C $ 411.3 billion (US $ 13.99 billion) budgeted for this year, an increase of more than 10%.
The move comes as China has significantly stepped up military activity near Taiwan, which it considers a separatist province, raising fears that it will one day try to take the island back by force.
David Helvey, the acting U.S. undersecretary of defense for East Asia, told an online defense industry conference hosted by the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council that the actions of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were a proof of “Taiwan’s ability and readiness to respond to coercion.”
“While the actions of the EPL are real and dangerous, the EPL is not unbeatable,” he said.
“Taiwan can, through smart investments, send a clear signal to Beijing that Taiwanese society and its armed forces are absolutely committed to defending Taiwan.”
Referring to the proposed defense budget, he added: “These increases, while a step in the right direction, are nonetheless insufficient to ensure that Taiwan can harness its geography, advanced technology, workforce and patriotic population to channel the inherent advantages of Taiwan needed for a tough defense. “
Helvey said Taiwan should continue to strike a balance in defense investment between local development and foreign purchases, while avoiding overinvestment in areas that did not provide a good return on limited resources.
He said the US encouraged Taiwan to invest in “large amounts of small capabilities” that would indicate that “an invasion or attack would not come without significant cost.”
These include acquiring as many coastal defense cruise missiles as possible and other capabilities to help defend coastal areas and beaches, including short-range air defense, naval mines, rapid attack craft, mobile artillery. and advanced surveillance assets.
Helvey also said that Taiwan needed to strengthen its reserve forces and that their training “should show people … how small but manageable actions can support the defense of Taiwan.”
As fears about China’s intentions mounted, so did concerns in military circles in the US and elsewhere about Taiwan’s military readiness, as well as its people’s willingness to resist any Chinese attack.
The United States is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but has maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to the question of whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.
Last month, sources told Reuters that the United States plans to sell up to seven major weapons systems, including mines, cruise missiles and drones, to Taiwan.
