Taiwan to create combat-ready reserve force as fears of Chinese attack grow

Faced with the growing threat from China, Taiwan in 2022 will deploy a new defense agency to improve the combat readiness of your military reserve force, as detailed in the budget proposal presented to parliament, as warnings about Beijing’s increased war capabilities mount.

The document presented by the Department of Defense, which must be approved by lawmakers, provides $ 9.3 million in funds for the new body, which was already approved in May to review the reserve preparation system.

To replace the reserve command of the armed forces, The agency will design measures related to mobilization and coordinate with relevant authorities to create and organize a combat-ready reserve force, according to the proposal.

The close link with the American forces will also be maintained: officers will be sent on exchange and training visits, adds the budget proposal, detailed by the South China Morning Post.

According to the plan, new reservists would undergo two to two weeks of training (doubling the current tenure) and could be called in every year, instead of once every two years as before. The new policy will be implemented on a trial basis over the next two years and would come into full effect in 2024.

Tensions with China have increased in the Taiwan Strait, especially since Tsai Ing-wen was elected president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle. Xi Jinping’s regime has increased pressure on the autonomous island, among other things, by suspending official exchanges, organizing live-fire exercises nearby, and hunting down diplomatic allies. Meanwhile, Taiwan and the United States have moved closer in recent years, further infuriating Beijing.

Tuesday, in another report sent to the Legislative Assembly, the Defense Ministry warned that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was a “growing threat” for Taiwan, given its capabilities in cyber and electronic warfare and communications interference.

The text also warns of the possibility that the Chinese military could cripple the island’s air defense, maritime control and counterattack system, since the combat effectiveness of the regime’s armed forces has been extended.. In this sense, he stressed that maritime capacities will continue to increase, especially in 2025, when China will put its type 003 aircraft carrier into service.

The document offered a more alarming assessment than last year’s report, which claimed China still lacks the capacity to launch an attack.

However, they still point out that Beijing is believed to lack the logistics and transport capacity for an invasion of the main island of Taiwan, but it does have the surrounding islands.The ministry therefore recommended overseeing the PLA’s efforts to expand training and preparations for complex landing operations.

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