Taiwan’s military must objectively assess PLA then ‘strengthen ourselves’, defence chief says
- Chiu Kuo-cheng says island won’t rely on People’s Liberation Army having ‘certain shortcomings’ in preparing for possible conflict
- Minister made the remarks after Pentagon report released last week said the PLA had highlighted weaknesses it needed to overcome
“In building up our forces and preparing for war, [we] must take into account the intelligence we have about the enemy,” Chiu told reporters before a meeting of the legislature.
“We should not rest our hopes on the mistakes of others and regardless of whether they are good or bad … or have certain shortcomings, we should examine ourselves first,” he said.
In an annual assessment sent to Congress by the Pentagon on Thursday, the US Department of Defence said the PLA had publicly identified some weaknesses, likely as a way to guide and accelerate its modernisation efforts.
They range from a lack of combat experience, since the PLA has not fought a war since 1979, to training that is too formal and bureaucratic. Other problem areas highlighted include an inability to understand the intention of higher authorities, deal with unexpected situations, and fight and command in a modern conflict.
