Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung appeared before the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee this morning to deliver a special report and answer legislators’ questions. Speaking to the media beforehand, Minister Koo said training is the foundation of combat power. The Armed Forces will make comprehensive preparations and continue training rigorously and consistently to strengthen force development and combat readiness. He also expressed hope for greater public support.
Asked about the focus of the field-training phase of the “Han Kuang 42 Exercise” and Taiwan-U.S. cooperation, Minister Koo described the field exercise as the culminating validation of the Han Kuang exercise series. Beginning with computer-assisted war games, namely command-post exercises, and progressing through the Rapid Response Exercise, the Joint Defense Exercise, and the Han Kuang field exercise, each stage employs realistic, scenario-driven but unscripted training. Continuous scenario injects require units to respond as events unfold, testing commanders’ judgment and the orders they issue. Regarding Taiwan-U.S. military exchanges, Minister Koo said the Ministry draws on the U.S. military’s experience in realistic training to enhance the Armed Forces’ operational capabilities. Cooperation with friendly partners also strengthens Taiwan’s overall force-development and combat-readiness efforts.
Asked about the 2027 defense budget and new unmanned ground systems, Minister Koo replied that the Ministry formulates its budget in consideration of enemy threats, defensive operational requirements, and the government’s overall fiscal capacity. Defense spending will target 3% of GDP, with the Executive Yuan to make a coordinated announcement at a later date.
Responding to reports that China was harassing Taiwan’s surrounding waters and airspace under the pretext of “joint combat-readiness patrols” as the Han Kuang Exercise began, Minister Koo said the Ministry has contingency plans in place for continued PLA activities around the Taiwan Strait during the exercise. Such activities will not interrupt the exercise, and all training events will proceed as planned.
Asked about Japan’s recently released defense white paper, Minister Koo said the report describes the threat from China as “an unprecedentedly significant strategic challenge” to Japan and a matter of serious concern. Peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific are of vital importance. The Ministry will continue working with friendly partners to strengthen intelligence exchanges and collective deterrence. Taiwan will also increase its defense budget and fulfill its responsibility to defend the country.