Taiwan Needs to Do More to Become Resilient Against Communist China’s Aggression: Report

Taiwanese sailors salute the island's flag on the deck of the Panshih supply ship after taking part in annual drills at the Tsoying naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 31, 2018. (Mandy Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwan needs to bolster its port infrastructure along its eastern seaboard as part of many measures required to strengthen the island’s resilience in the face of communist China’s aggression, according to experts from the nonprofit Atlantic Council.

Franklin D. Kramer, distinguished fellow and board director at the Atlantic Council, said a resilient Taiwan would allow the self-ruled island to “maintain its defense” until allies come to its aid in the event of a Chinese attack or a blockade imposed by China, during an online event on July 18, discussing a new report authored by him and his colleagues at the nonprofit.

“The first is to be more resilient by creating cloud-based capabilities that would duplicate government functions, and that could be put off the island, so to speak, in a safer place to enhance resilience,” Mr. Kramer said. He added that Ukraine has already done so, resulting in a “much more effective governmental functioning” in its war against Russia.

The report offers many recommendations for Taiwan under three categories: cybersecurity and critical infrastructure resilience, energy, and enhancing defense resilience. It notes that “the long-standing status quo in cross-strait relations is no longer acceptable to Beijing.”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has set the goal of seizing Taiwan, either through peaceful means or by military actions. Taiwan, a de facto independent nation with its own democratically-elected government, has relied on the United States for weapons for its self-defense.

The two neighbors are separated by a narrow body of water called the Taiwan Strait, with Taiwan’s western coast facing China.

Ports

To enhance Taiwan’s defense resilience, Mr. Kramer suggested that Taiwan’s eastern ports, given their distant location from China, would be keys to breaking through a blockade imposed by the regime’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

“Taiwan should also make rapid investments in port infrastructure and defenses along Taiwan’s eastern seaboard in places such as Su’ao and Hualien harbors, which can serve as deepwater ports that are accessible, strategic, antiblockade strongpoints, and where any conceivable PLA blockade would be at its weakest and most vulnerable point logistically,” the report reads.

In its 2023 China military report, the Pentagon warned that Beijing could impose a maritime and air traffic blockade to force Taiwan’s capitulation. According to the report, the Chinese regime could complement its blockade with concurrent electronic warfare, network attacks, and information operations to “further isolate Taiwan’s authorities and populace and to control the international narrative of the conflict.”

Most of Taiwan’s ports are on the west coast, including Taipei Port, Port of Taichung, and Port of Kaohsiung. Su’ao Port and Port of Hualien are the two major ports on the island’s east coast.

“Su’ao harbor, as a potential future homeport for Taiwan’s new indigenous Hai Kun-class diesel submarines, could also serve a dual purpose as an experimentation and development zone for public-private collaboration on unmanned-systems employment and operations,” the report reads.

It adds, “Infrastructure investments in East Coast ports could enhance the island’s ability to attain emergency resupply of energy, food, humanitarian supplies, and munitions under all conditions, broadening options for international community aid and complicating PLA efforts.”

The first of the Hai Kun-class submarines, Hai Kun 711, was undocked for testing earlier this month, according to government-run Radio Taiwan International. Citing a Taiwanese general, the outlet reported last year that the goal was to have a fleet of four submarines ready by 2027.

Drones

Mr. Kramer also recommended that Taiwan increase its defense spending from the current 2.5 percent to 3 percent of the GDP. He said the increase would allow the island to “have a more resilient capability.”

A portion of the military spending should go into purchasing low-cost, high-effectiveness capabilities, particularly unmanned surface vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, Mr. Kramer added, pointing to Ukraine’s success with drones to fend off Russian attacks.

“Encouraging cooperation between Taiwan drone makers and U.S. private industry will accelerate the development of a combat-ready unmanned systems fleet with sufficient range, endurance, and payload to enhance situational awareness and battlefield effects,” the Atlantic Council report reads.

In June, the Biden administration approved a new weapons sale worth $360 million to Taiwan. The potential arms sale includes two different types of drones: the 720 Switchblade 300 loitering munition systems and 291 Altius 600M-V systems.

Mr. Kramer said Taiwan ought to change its training curriculum for new enlistees so that they can handle emerging technologies such as drones.

“By integrating drone warfare training into the conscript system as well as in annual reserve call-up training, Taiwan can better prepare its military personnel to adapt to modern battlefield environments and effectively counter emerging threats,” the report reads.

Taiwan should also have a “civilian cyber reserve,” Mr. Kramer said, so that there are enough individuals to deal with Chinese cyber attacks.

Further, the report discusses the importance of enhancing Taiwan’s communications resilience.

“The United States should undertake to enhance Taiwan’s communications resilience by making available access to US commercial and military LEO [low-Earth orbit] networks,” the report reads. “Longer term, the United States should also undertake to enhance the resilience of Taiwan’s undersea cables.”