Taiwan pledged military pile up to counter China

Taiwan pledged on Wednesday to build up its military in the face of an increased risk of invasion by the mainland in a major defence ministry report that comes as ties with Beijing worsen.

Beijing is deeply suspicious of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, whose Democratic Progressive Party is traditionally pro-independence. 

Last week, Premier Li Keqiang said authorities would not tolerate "any attempts to separate Taiwan from the motherland". Beijing has severed all official communications with Taipei since Tsai became leader in May and has reportedly discouraged mainland visitors from travelling to the island. 

In a summary of a four-yearly report to be delivered to parliament on Thursday, Taiwan's defence ministry said it wanted to build a bolstered "multi-layer defence front" including submarines, missiles and drones which it hoped would act as a deterrent.

If there was still an attempted invasion, combined interception forces would "weaken the enemy's capabilities and crush its attacks to deter it from landing on the island". 

The report summary said Beijing had never given up on its desire to invade. "Preparing for a war to invade Taiwan is a major goal of its military preparation," it said. 

To address its weaknesses, the island would focus on developing three key areas -- aerospace, shipbuilding and information security -- and would seek to develop more of its own weapons, the ministry said.

Beijing sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait in January as a show of strength, but it did not enter Taiwanese waters.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Taiwan launches first ever home-grown submarine project

Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen launched the island's first ever home-grown submarine project on Tuesday in the face of what the government says are growing military threats from the mainland.  The move comes after Beijing sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait in January, in one of a number of military drills held as relations deteriorate.  Taiwan last week warned of an increased invasion risk from the mainland and has pledged to boost its military in response.  Tsai called the launch of the submarine plan a "historic moment" at a naval base in the southern city of Kaohsiung.  She was presiding over a formal signing ceremony to initiate the project between the navy, Taiwanese shipbuilder CSBS Corporation and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, which develops combat system integration.  Delivery of the submarine is expected to take eight years and is part of the island's "indigenous defence policy
Read more

World's friable cities need a $78 trillion impulse

More people are living in urban areas than rural, making cities the world’s modern battlegrounds. The urban population is seen rising to 70% by 2050 from 55% in 2016, and its share of gross domestic product will almost double to $115 trillion by 2030. Getting city development right will be a big factor in eliminating poverty, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and this will need serious money. “More than 80% of the world’s cities show signs of fragility yet the success or failure in meeting the world’s most pressing challenges will be decided in them,” BAML analysts, led by Sarbjit Nahal, London-based head of thematic investing, wrote in a report this month. Infrastructure will need $71 trillion to $78 trillion in investment over the next decade, and the “smart city” market will grow to about $1.6 trillion by 2020 from $1 trillion now, they estimate. Urbanization helped lift 500 million Chinese out of poverty and the World Bank estimates that a 230% increase in a country’s
Read more

Second Joint Army Exercise Between India and Oman: Al Nagah-li

Second edition of the joint exercise between the Indian and Oman Armies commenced today with the Opening Ceremony at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. The training contingents comprised of platoon strength from both the Armies, which will be validated over 2-3 days by senior military observers of both the countries. The previous edition of the Exercise was held at Muscat, Oman in 2015.  The aim of this exercise is to acquaint both forces with each other’s operating procedures, improve the interoperability in conducting joint operations in the backdrop of counter insurgency/ counter terrorism environment as also to enhance the existing military relationship between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman. 
Read more