Taiwan defense policy

Insights from Michael A. Hunzeker.

Polling data, however encouraging, should not be treated as reliable evidence of actual wartime behavior or social resilience.

Taiwan’s defense challenges do not stem from a lack of spending per se but from inefficiencies in how its defense funds are allocated and utilized.

Recurring corruption scandals shed light on the lack of accountability in military procurement decisions. 

In the face of hybrid warfare and nontraditional threats, Taiwan's defense budget includes more than military expenditure.

With a divided government, what are the prospect for President Lai's defense agenda?

Can the Lai administration finally break through the insular defense bureaucracy to enforce necessary reforms?

If elected, Hou Yu-ih plans to publish Taiwan’s first National Security Strategy within the first ten months of the presidency.

Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, the Hai Kun, is a significant technical achievement, but will only modestly contribute to the island’s defense.

Should China mount an invasion, Taiwan's political leadership and degree of social cohesion will be the most important factors in its defense.

A new survey finds broad support for the lengthened conscription period, even past the current one year mark.

As the U.S. urges Taiwan to adopt a security strategy that requires foreign intervention, it also upholds a policy of strategic ambiguity, making it difficult for Taipei to commit to a purely defensive approach.