Taiwan will regard airspace intrusions as a ‘first strike’ by China: defense minister
Taiwan will regard airspace intrusions as a ‘first strike’ by China: defense minister
2022-10-06
With tensions rising in the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense is reconsidering what Taiwan’s military will regard as a “first strike” by China. Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng says the definition of “first strike” now includes intrusion into Taiwan’s territorial airspace. The territorial airspace extends just 12 nautical miles from the coast of Taiwan. The minister said that and any intrusions on it would result in countermeasures from Taiwan’s military.
With its frequent incursions, the PLA has shown that it has stopped recognizing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. That is making Taiwan reconsider what actions would be considered a “first strike” from China.
Lo Chih-cheng
DPP lawmaker
Previously, we had said that we wouldn’t be the ones to fire the first round, or be the first ones to attack. We said we would only counterattack after the enemy starts the conflict. Does that approach still stand?
Chiu Kuo-cheng
Defense minister
Back then, we said that we wouldn’t fire the first round. That we wouldn’t strike unless they attacked us first. That includes artillery and missiles and so on.
Lo Chih-cheng
DPP lawmaker
But now it seems that the definition of that has changed. If they send warplanes into our airspace, that counts as the first attack.
Chiu Kuo-cheng
Defense minister
That’s right.
The defense minister said that aircraft flying into Taiwan’s airspace would constitute a “first strike” against Taiwan. With cross-strait tension on the rise, the ministry is not just revising its definition of “first strike.” It has also decided to extend the duration of conscription.
Chiu Kuo-cheng
Defense minister
We’ll announce the conscription changes before the end of the year. They have to be announced one year before they take effect.
Tsai Ing-wen
President
We are also working to adapt our defense strategy to the changing threats we face. To this end we have substantially increased our defense spending, including on asymmetric warfare capability, weapons upgrades, and domestic vessel production. Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government has the right to represent the Taiwanese people.
In a prerecorded message on Wednesday, President Tsai Ing-wen addressed the Washington-based Global Taiwan Institute, thanking the U.S. for its assistance to Taiwan. In an interview in Hawaii last week, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Samuel Paparo said that the U.S. and its allies would be able to break a maritime blockade of Taiwan imposed by China. Comments of support like that in recent weeks have been seen as a signal to China that the U.S. will stand with Taiwan.
國軍「第一擊」定義改變 邱國正：航空器飛過領空就算
2022-10-06
台海情勢嚴峻，美國國務院官員指出，必須加快軍售速度，美軍太平洋艦隊司令帕帕羅也喊話，若中國實施海上封鎖，美方與盟邦都有能力突破，仰賴盟友的同時，國軍也從制度面著手改革，其中"第一擊"的定義，過去是砲彈飛彈攻擊才算，但現在改為只要航空器飛越領空就算。
中國解放軍動作頻頻，毀掉海峽中線"默契"，迫使我軍，對於"第一擊"的定義，出現改變。
[[立委(民) 羅致政]]
“我們之前的說法我們不會發第一槍，我們不會有第一擊，一定要承受第一擊之後我們(才有)反擊，我們戰略還是如此嗎?”
[[國防部長 邱國正]]
當初講說不打第一擊原因，它如果沒有對我們發起第一擊，就所謂砲彈飛彈等等
[[立委(民) 羅致政]]
“但現在這個定義已經很明顯改變了。如果它的戰機飛入我們領空的時候，這就算第一擊”
[[國防部長 邱國正]]
“沒有錯”
強調只要航空器越過領空，就算是第一擊，隨著台海情勢升溫，要修正的除了第一擊定義，還有役男服役年限，也確定要延長。
[[國防部長 邱國正]]
“應該在年底之前(公布役男服役年限)，因為要一年，公告”
[[總統 蔡英文]]
我們努力調整防衛戰略，以因應不斷變化的威脅， 為了達成這個目標， 我們大幅提升國防預算，包括強化不對稱作戰能力，武器升級及國艦國造，只有台灣民選政府，有權代表台灣人民。
總統透過影片，在華府的全球台灣智庫發聲，感謝近來美方出手相助，美國太平洋艦隊司令帕帕羅，日前在夏威夷受訪時指出，若中國對台灣實施海上封鎖，不僅美國本身就有能力突破，盟邦也有能力突破封鎖。美方頻繁釋出護台、挺台訊息，似乎也是說給中國聽。
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