‘US shadow’: Taiwan’s new defence chief Wellington Koo sets out policy direction

Key aspects include developing asymmetric warfare, and seeking military financing and force restructuring advice from the United States

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Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo visits the army headquarters in Taipei on Monday. Photo: X / @MoNDefense

Published: 8:00pm, 8 Jun 2024

Taiwan’s new defence chief Wellington Koo has set out key aspects of his policy direction, including developing asymmetric warfare and seeking military financing and advice on force restructuring from the United States.

In his first policy report to the legislature on Thursday, Koo also acknowledged that US President Joe Biden’s latest remarks on whether America would step in to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by Beijing indicate Washington is sticking to its policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the issue.

“As far as I know, Biden has maintained a strategic ambiguity approach, meaning he has not clearly stated whether to send forces or not,” he said when asked by lawmakers if Biden was backing away from previous comments.

In an interview with Time magazine published on Tuesday, Biden said “it would depend on the circumstances” whether the US would use force to defend Taiwan from an attack by the People’s Liberation Army. He would “not rule out using US military force” but made a distinction between deploying ground forces versus using air and naval power.

On Thursday, Koo said that instead of relying on others, the island must focus on strengthening its own defences.

“By enhancing our self-defence capabilities and integrating into the US Indo-Pacific strategy, Taiwan aims to become an effective deterrent. This focus on self-defence capabilities is the key priority for the defence ministry,” he said.

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