Taiwan’s military will issue warnings before destroying PLA planes or ships, defence minister says
- Chiu Kuo-cheng clarifies that the island’s forces will not attack mainland Chinese forces that cross its ‘red lines’ without giving warning first
- Minister says Taiwan is wary about triggering a cross-strait conflict but will continue to strengthen combat readiness
Taiwan’s military will issue warnings before shooting down aircraft or destroying ships from the People’s Liberation Army, the island’s defence minister said on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Chiu redefined the first strike by the PLA as any of its aerial and naval vehicles breaching the island’s 12-nautical mile (22.2km) territorial limit.
Earlier this month Chiu told lawmakers the military had previously defined a PLA first strike as an assault involving artillery or missiles. But in recent months, because the PLA used drones to cross what the island’s military considered its “red lines” or territorial limits, his ministry redefined a first strike to include planes or ships crossing into Taiwan’s territorial waters.
At the time, he did not elaborate on what countermeasures the island’s military would take, raising speculation that Taiwan would destroy planes or ships once they crossed the “red line”.
But on Tuesday, when asked by reporters for clarification, Chiu said the standard procedure would be for the island’s military to issue warnings and determine the nature of the intruder before acting.