Taiwan is learning from Ukraine how it could defend against a possible Chinese invasion, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February, the country has used essentially smaller weapons to fight back and humiliate Russia’s larger military. This method of defense is in line with Taiwan’s “pork strategy,” also known as asymmetric warfare, which it uses to prepare for a possible Chinese invasion. The strategy was first introduced by Taiwan’s then military chief Lee Hsi-Ming in 2017 and involved stockpiling anti-aircraft, anti-tank and anti-ship weapons instead of larger equipment. “The hog strategy is really when a smaller army tries to defend against a larger army, which is the aggressor, and uses a lot of smaller weapons,” Alastair Gale, the Wall Street Journal’s Asia security correspondent, said in a video. “Like the animal, it tries to inflict so much pain on the bigger opponent that it stops the attacker,” he said. Taiwan is closely watching how Ukraine inflicted casualties on Putin’s forces to learn lessons on how to successfully defend against an invader with a larger army and weapons, the report said. China’s military, estimated at two million, far outnumbers Taiwan’s 200,000 troops, according to defense ministry figures. Similarly, Russia outnumbers Ukraine’s forces with over 1 million military personnel compared to 500,000, per Statista. While Taiwan previously favored investments in heavy, expensive equipment such as fighter jets, helicopters and tanks to prepare against a possible Chinese invasion, defense experts say they would be easily destroyed by an attacker, the Journal report said.
Taiwan’s president was photographed posing with an anti-aircraft missile over his shoulders
Ukraine’s effective use of smaller weapons inspires Taiwan, as they were able to have a major impact on the more heavily armed Russian invaders. Throughout the war, Ukraine has exploited US-supplied hand-held weapons such as Javelin and Stinger missiles and attack drones to destroy Russian tanks and aircraft. In this image taken from footage provided by the Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, a Ukrainian soldier uses a US Javelin missile launcher during military exercises in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. Press Service of the Ministry Defense of Ukraine via AP As of Aug. 8, more than 600 Russian tanks and aircraft have been destroyed since the start of the war, the Journal reported, citing the open-source website Oryx. Taiwan is considering increasing training in the use of portable missiles, according to The Journal. Even Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has been photographed posing with the Kestrel anti-armor missile launched by Taiwan. The smaller anti-aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles have limitations in their range, with the Javelin only having an operational range of 2.5 miles. Ukraine has also recently had a string of successes with the US-supplied HIMARS, which has a much more extended operational range of 53 miles. The US approved the first sale of HIMARS to Taiwan in 2020. Taiwan is also trying to expand its drone arsenal. It is developing indigenous weapons such as the Teng Yun, and the US has also agreed to sell Taiwan MQ-9 Reaper drones. Taiwan’s government has also pledged to spend an additional $8.7 billion on military equipment, according to the report. Military experts say China is also taking note of the Russian incursion, learning that they will need to use overwhelming force if they are to succeed, the report said. China views the self-governing island of Taiwan as a breakaway province that it wishes to unify. For decades, it pressured governments not to recognize it as a sovereign nation. Some military analysts believe that China may eventually invade the island. Tensions have risen recently after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, despite China repeatedly warning her not to. In response to her visit, China held military exercises around Taiwan and said further “training and war preparation” would continue. A war game analysis by a think tank suggested that if Taiwan could repel a Chinese invasion with US help, it would suffer heavy losses.
