"No matter what happens, don't stop, just fly straight into Kinmen," ordered Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng to the pilots on August 14, 2022, as they boarded a special flight to Kinmen for a planned visit.

This happened around the time when former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and triggered a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. Despite the fact that four days ago the PLA forces announced that they had “successfully achieved their objectives” and the military exercises were over. However, PLA aircrafts continued to fly near Taiwan, frequently crossing the strait's median line. Even though his staff assessed that there was still a risk, but Chiu decided to push ahead.

His mantra was: "When the guns go off, there will only be dead soldiers, no surrendered soldiers.

Over the past year, the war between Russia and Ukraine and Pelosi's visit to Taiwan have put Taiwan in the limelight, and Chiu Kuo-cheng, now 70, has been on the front page many times.

His answers were always straightforward and clear. In the Legislative Yuan, he bluntly said, "The cross-strait situation now is the most critical moment in my 40 years of military service. He also said, "I will fight for my country, and I will stay for as long as you want to fight!”

"Can Taiwan defend itself? "Will there be a war?" These are questions that few people have been willing to face since the Taiwan Strait crisis in 1996. But Chiu cannot dodge these questions. He decided to extend the period of compulsory service from four months to one year, to increase the number of days of reserve duty and to increase the national Defense budget by 10%. On the eve of the anniversary of the Ukraine War, Chiu gave an exclusive interview to CommonWealth Magazine. The following is a summary of the interview. 

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Q: What is the new role of Taiwan now that the China-U.S. competition is intensifying?

A: The relationship between the U.S. and China is more tense than before. Taiwan is caught in the middle and is also involved. The United States has drawn protection lines to the east and to the west for the sake of its own security. For the US, there are more authoritarian countries in East Asia, such as North Korea, China, and in the past, Vietnam.

Taiwan is right in the middle of the first island chain, especially now that the U.S. has made China its imaginary enemy, and Taiwan's position between the two powers is even more important.

After all, mainland China is related to Taiwan by blood and has a similar language and culture, but the political systems are not. China is authoritarian and Taiwan is democratic, and this is a big difference. The U.S. therefore sees Taiwan as a buffer.

The advantage of being caught in the middle is that Taiwan is interconnected with Japan and Southeast Asia, and the stakes are clear. The downside is that China feels betrayed that “we are of the same language and race, but Taiwan is helping outsiders,” and there are no good channels of communication between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

In this state of affairs, Taiwan has to adjust its thinking and the military has to adjust its pace and beef up its preparations for war.

(Source: Chien-Tong Wang)

A war ends in either a tragic victory or a tragic defeat

To be honest, I have been in the army for over 40 years and I am very much against wars. In history and in documentaries, the final outcome of a war, even if it seems to be a victory or a defeat, is always a tragic victory or a tragic defeat.

The military is an extension of politics, and it is only when there is no way to talk politics that the military is moved. The army is fortified but not provocative.

Many old colleagues and senior officials have told me, "Don't start a war. But if China keeps pushing, you know very well what the duty of a soldier is. It is to protect our country, to give our lives for our country.

The strengthening of combat readiness is a practical act, but the spiritual aspect is to let all troops and soldiers know that the military's duty and responsibility are absolutely related to the survival and development of the Republic of China.

The military philosophy is to avoid war, but not to run away from it. We prepare for war; we do not seek it. But if the other side continues to push, we must rise to the occasion.

Q: When a Chinese balloon was found on Dongyin Island, your first reaction was to observe, was that the reason?

A: Yes. It could be sensitive. Once the guns go off, there's no stopping it, and I don't know what the consequences will be. For example, when Chinese drones appeared in Kinmen and Matsu last year, I asked my soldiers not to strike the first blow.

Q: What is the purpose behind the spy balloon?

A: There are many ways for China to express its displeasure, but we cannot generalize and say that it was a spy balloon. There are many types of balloons, usually those below 5 to 6 meters high are used for detection. Our artillery and air force will usually put up air balloons, mainly to detect the weather of the day on the flight path of the aircraft, or to measure the temperature and wind direction.

Like the one the U.S. shot down, it was over 20 meters high, which is more than an atmospheric probe and has a search function. It might have been for data collection for missiles or detecting terrain changes.

We have long seen them (Chinese balloons), especially every year in conjunction with the northeast monsoon winds from about December to February and March.

Q: Recently, many countries' military personnel have been coming to Taiwan for exchanges, what are their objectives?

A: China is becoming more assertive, be it promoting its economy, foreign trade, or technology, some countries feel threatened, curious and eager to learn more, so they will naturally contact us. All countries know very well that Taiwan understands the CCP. Even if they have the information in hand, it is difficult to understand it in depth because of the difference in language and culture.

We also communicate with other countries. They are involved in many international organizations; they have more information and they have their own observations. We have a reciprocal attitude and we are happy to exchange ideas in this area of work as long as there are opportunities to help Taiwan's defense efforts.

(Source: Chien-Tong Wang)

China cannot take Taiwan in a fortnight

Q: Has the war between Russia and Ukraine increased the urgency of exchanges? Does it have an impact on Taiwan?

A: The war is still going on a year later, which was unexpected by many, probably including Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Crimean War was fought very quickly, and Putin probably thought that the attack on Ukraine would be the same. A year of war really hurts, not only Ukraine, but also Russia.

Once the war started, we have heard slogans like "Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow”. In fact, the situation with Taiwan is very different from that of Ukraine.

Ukraine is connected to Russian by land, which is good for troops to attack, but the defensive side is not necessarily disadvantaged, as it can be easily supplied. 

Taiwan, on the other hand, is an island nation, and the strait seem to be in our favor, but in the event of war, foreign support, supplies of strategic materials may be disrupted. As we look at the war between Russia and Ukraine, we have to think about what the future holds.

We are watching the war between Russia and Ukraine closely, and so is the Chinese Communist Party. If Russia had gotten the results it had hoped for shortly after the war started, the Communist Party would have been confident; but now that it is running out of steam, China will have to think twice.

There is no doubt that China is much bigger than Taiwan. It is so big that it can start a war, but not so big that it can take Taiwan in a week or two, and it cannot impose dictatorship on the people of Taiwan in a year or two after taking it. It is because the people of Taiwan are used to freedom and democracy and cannot accept one-party rule.

Another lesson from the Ukraine war is that it is important to be prepared. Ukraine was divided into eastern and western theatres of war, but Taiwan is not. Once Taiwan is at war, there will be no front and no rear supply, it will all be one war zone.

Now the Chinese communist carriers can go to the east coast, mainly to stop people from outside coming in and starving Taiwan. The East Coast can only be used as a storage for supplies, but it cannot be fully relied upon.

But Taiwan can definitely survive, as long as we are well supplied. Because there are many ways to get to the outside world, and there are also networks and communications that can break the blockade, and there are ways to survive if we can find the gaps. We do not rely on other countries for support, but I believe we can survive.

The war is not lost before the Chinese flag flies from the Ministry of Defense

Q: Since the enemy is big and we are small, one school of thought is that we should focus on asymmetric strategies and need small weapons; the other school of thought is that we should buy large weapons because of the frequent communist disturbances.

A: A war cannot be fought if two countries are matched in terms of war power, but must be made asymmetrical.

China is so big, why don’t they start a war yet? Because we have to take into account the weaknesses. The PLA's army, navy and air force have to cross the Taiwan Strait first, and after the missiles are fired, the air force and navy will come at the same time. If the ground troops do not come or cannot be controlled after the battle, the battle is lost.

Once the guns go off, there may be soldiers in Taiwan who die in battle, but there will be no soldiers who surrender. As long as this is achieved, and I am confident that it will be, even if there are casualties, unless the five-star flag is placed on top of the Ministry of National Defense building, the battle will have been fought in vain.

(Source: Chien-Ying Chiu)

Q: Is it Taiwan's ultimate war guidance not to allow the five-star flag to be placed on the Ministry of National Defense?

A: Only the side that starts the war needs guidance for the final battle, we will fight to the end.

The Chinese Communist Party needs to think this through. They say they want a peaceful reunification, but going to war is already contradictory to that objective, and will only take them further and further away. This is the strength of our weakness in asymmetrical warfare.

Make the enemy hesitant about going to war

Q: Some people say that if we buy small arms like Ukraine did, we can also achieve the deterrent effect of stopping the war.

A: A small fight against a large one can have a big effect on the combat level immediately. But this is only a small part of the war, and we cannot say that in the future we will all develop in this direction, otherwise the army will become a guerrilla force. The army must be prepared for war by looking at the whole army, navy and air force, not just small weapons, which are just actions in combat.

Q: So, what is the ideal direction for military building?

A: We need to build an army that is prepared for war, so that when the enemy wants to go to war, he will think twice. The army, navy and air force have to be built up to the point where the enemy can't win in two days as they expect. If the other side is not sure about going to war, then we have achieved our goal of building the army.

Q: You said in the Legislative Yuan that China will have the capability to attack Taiwan by 2025, while Philip Davidson, the former Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said the year is 2027. How do you determine on the timing?

A: Even if China has to fight now, it is capable of doing so.

But the Communist forces also had to consider what is the "purpose" of the operation. What is their position? What are the resources? What are the final means to be used?

If it is only to teach Taiwan a lesson, a war would be contradictory to China's slogan of "Chinese people don’t fight Chinese people". Of course, China is absolutely against Taiwan's independence, and they will never give up the possibility of “unification Taiwan by force”.

When the war will begin depends on the signs. Before an army moves, provisions must come first. When a large force moves, there must be signals. If their movement suddenly stops, it is also a sign. This is why we need to communicate with other countries, to prepare and to buy time.

Q: What are the signs you are seeing now?

A: The military cannot say when the war will start. When you feel safe, it's actually the most dangerous.
The military had to be prepared for the next hour, tomorrow and next week. I asked the officers of the army not to leave their barracks too far during the New Year holidays. It's a soldier's job to prepare.

Q: How can you make people feel safe to live and invest in Taiwan?

A: The military has the responsibility to defend the country with our lives. I have to emphasize again and again that this is not a slogan, we must know integrity, be responsible and ethical. This is what every cadre, every officer and soldier must know from the bottom of their hearts.

One year of military service is enough

In addition, the entire force must constantly review its capabilities. The recent extension of compulsory military service is because the recent situation has forced us not only to think, but also to act.

The new recruits will be reporting for duty next year. I have asked for all the supporting programs to be completed by October so that we have a season to strengthen and improve.

President Tsai announced to extend of the conscription from four months to a year at the end of 2022. (Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Q: The National Army has gone through several waves of manpower streamlining, what is the biggest bottleneck in extending the service now?

A: I would like to start by explaining why the four-month service didn’t work out, because I was involved in the planning at the time. The recruitment situation was very good at that time and the target for the number of soldiers was met. 

The original purpose of the four-month service was to train them to become combat soldiers through basic combat maneuvers, but the plan didn’t go so well. There were many people who feel that they have not learnt anything during the four months of service, and that the techniques were boring.

When I took office, there was a lot of criticism that four months of military training was not enough, with which I agree. Then came the war between Russia and Ukraine, and it became clear that four months of training was clearly not enough, and the inter-departmental team was supportive.

Why one year? Because the Ministry of National Defense can make adjustments on its own if the service is within a year. Anything longer than that would require a lengthy discussion in the Legislative Yuan and might end up with nothing.

In addition, I can say with certainty that one year of training is enough. For a professional soldier, one year in the army is enough for one to have done all kinds of training. From enlistment, to training in the field, to base training, to quarterly or semi-annual training in the field for shooting and combat.

Q: What will happen to the people with four months' service?

A: They will then work in local civil defense, ambulance, transport, etc. A major change in the training is that it depends on their special expertise. If one can handle a scalpel, he will not be transferred to an infantry company.

The number of alternative service personnel will be reduced graduallt in coordination with the Ministry of the Interior. The alternative service will also include basic training, such as target shooting and field marches. Target shooting is the most basic.

Q: How will you show young people that it is worthwhile to extend their military service?

A: We will try to match training with their respective expertise so as to make the most use of their education. 

In addition, everyone needs a job. Any job involves some sort of group life. Going into military service allows people to experience the good side of group life. 

Q: Last August, CommonWealth did a story on flight officers. In recent years, we see an increase in the number of flight safety cases. At the same time, Chinese flights have been flying close to Taiwan, how does this affect senior officers?

A: I can't say it didn't have an impact, mainly mental. I am very grateful to the first-line pilots, the maritime officers, the radar stations and the missile units who have been on duty more frequently than ever before.

(The PLA incursions near Taiwan) is one of the reasons, but I do not see it as a problem. How can we fix it? I must insist: no matter how urgent the situation is, the procedures must be followed.

In the past, many army chiefs would say, "Once we are in war, there is no time to think". When people heard that, they skipped the steps. This attitude needs to change.

In battle, we grab a bull and call it a horse, but we can't do that in training. We have to do things step by step. For example, when a pilot receives an order, he has to be in the air in five minutes. I don't expect them to cut corners to be two or three minutes faster. It is acceptable to be one or two minutes slower. If something goes wrong because someone cut corners, it is unacceptable to the whole country.

If you rush things, you will have problems. Training is very long and boring, so don't make this mistake.

(Source: Chien-Tong Wang)

Q: The political environment in Taiwan is very polarized, how do you convince the people of Taiwan to fight in the military? What are they fighting for?

A: I can't convince everyone. There are many people out there who make similar comments, some of whom are from the military and some of whom have research expertise, and I cannot dismiss them. The military should understand politics, but they should not be involved in politics.

The national military fights for the country, the national symbol of the Republic of China and the flag.

“Country, duty, honor,” it's not just a slogan. I'm not debating with you about national symbols and flags; you do your job well and that's honor. Responsibility is not negotiable.

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Have you read?

• Video report: Taiwan's most wanted talents 
• Video report: Is Taiwan’s Air Force ready to meet China’s threat? 
• Should military conscription be extended? Defense think tank responds
• Taiwan needs porcupine quills to deter China

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