Taiwan says anti-drone measures will be a top priority in defense against China

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense issued a report saying it is training soldiers to shoot down drones and actively looking to procure new anti-drone weapons systems, which comes in response to Chinese drone incursions.

The report released Thursday said Taiwan has developed a strategy to deal with the Chinese drone incursions by identifying and shooting them down as they approach.

Taiwan’s outlying islands, which are closer to China than the main island of Taiwan, often face Chinese drones. China frequently claims Taiwan as its own, while in practice it is self-ruled.

Defense ministry spokesperson Major General Sun Li-fang said Taiwan is continuing efforts to identify and use effective anti-drone systems in response to China.

“Basically the drone development and anti-drone developments are very fast, and based on today’s situation, there’s different progress every day,” he said. “This is one of our key points in our military preparedness efforts.”

The report also summarizes military exercises to surround the island and the growing use of grey-zone tactics by China, which are assaults stopping short of a direct armed attack. Drones have been added as a robust part of China’s grey-zone tactics.

In recent years, China has deployed its Coast Guard on patrol exercises and boarded Taiwanese fishing ships in the waters surrounding Taiwan, in addition to deploying the People’s Liberation Army on regular, large-scale exercises.

In April, China launched a surprise military exercise around Taiwan and then announced a formal military exercises a day later.

“The CCP has significantly increased joint combat readiness patrols, maritime and air blockades, joint firepower strikes,” the ministry report said of China’s preparations for establishing a blockade around Taiwan.

Taiwan’s anti-drone efforts are top priority, the ministry said Thursday, and soldiers in the outlying islands also are practicing night shooting as part of the training.

Taiwan has said it will work to strengthen its relationship with the U.S., the largest unofficial ally as military tensions increase with Beijing.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to Taiwan has differed from the Biden administration and Taiwan’s government canceled a U.S. stopover by President Lai Ching-te in July. Some reports said the decision was based on opposition by the Trump administration to a stopover and was widely viewed by experts as a diplomatic win for China.

Trump also demanded Taiwan deter China by increasing its defense spending as much as 10% of GDP, a proportion well above what the U.S. or any of its major allies spend.

Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo on Wednesday reaffirmed the pledge to raise defense spending to about 5% of the island’s GDP from the current spending of about 3% of GDP.

Major General Liu Wenjing, director of Taiwain’s Strategic Research and Analysis Division of the War Planning Department, said cooperation with the U.S. has long been aimed at regional security and peace.

“We will continue to strengthen our cooperative relationship through existing exchange mechanisms,” he said.

Taiwan signed a deal in February to pay $761 million to the U.S. for an air defense system to combat drones.

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Wu reported from Bangkok.