Taiwan seeks collective deterrence with Japan, U.S. against China

Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo underscored the importance of developing a collective deterrence with Japan, the United States and the Philippines in the Pacific to prevent an invasion of the self-ruled island by mainland China, in a recent interview with Kyodo News and two American newspapers.

In his first interview with overseas media, Koo pointed out that the so-called first island chain -- a strategic line of islands stretching from southern Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines -- is "an important line of defense" against China's military expansion into the western Pacific. He called for stronger cooperation with the three countries.

"We believe that, based on shared strategic interests and common security challenges, strengthening military exchanges and cooperation is absolutely necessary, and would have a positive impact on deterring China," Koo said.

China, which claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its own territory, has increased its military pressure on it, conducting large-scale drills and frequently sending warplanes and ships to nearby areas. The mainland has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification.

The minister, who assumed the post in May last year, said boosting collective deterrence would help avoid a war because it would make the assumption of China's Taiwan invasion "very complicated" and make Beijing understand that the price of attacking the island may become "very high."

The United States has a forward deployment of military assets in Japan and access to Philippine bases including those in northern areas closer to Taiwan.

Koo said Taiwan will also bolster its self-defense capabilities. So far, the island has observed no signs suggesting China's full-scale invasion, but the minister warned of the possibility that mainland military drills could turn into actual combat, a scenario that Taiwan has been training for since last year.

The frequency of the Chinese military approaching Taiwan's airspace and territorial waters has increased, with its gray-zone activities also escalating from low to medium intensity, Koo said. Gray-zone activity refers to aggressive acts that fall short of an armed attack.

In terms of security cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, Koo suggested sharing information on gray-zone threats, jointly conducting tabletop exercises, implementing maritime law enforcement and crime prevention measures together, and boosting defense industry supply chain collaboration.

As for the policy of the U.S. President Donald Trump administration, the minister said it "certainly emphasizes America first" but also stresses "the priority of the Indo-Pacific" in the security field.

U.S. demands for its security allies to increase defense spending and strengthen self-defense capabilities should be aimed at establishing "an effective deterrent formation," Koo said. "In terms of security, I think the United States will not withdraw from the Indo-Pacific."

"We can see that Taiwan and the United States have a common goal of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait," he added.

In the face of China's maritime assertiveness, Japan and the Philippines have agreed to strengthen their security ties. Both countries have territorial disputes with China -- Japan in the East China Sea and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Communist-ruled China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 following a civil war. The government in Taipei maintains unofficial ties with countries that have switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing over time, including Japan, the United States and the Philippines.

The United States supplies the island with arms and spare parts to ensure it maintains sufficient self-defense capabilities.