Newsletters
Taiwan is strengthening defenses on the Penghu Islands, a strategically important archipelago in the Taiwan Strait that military officials and experts say would likely be among the first targets in any Chinese attack, Reuters reported.
Located about 50 kilometers off Taiwan’s southwest coast, the group of roughly 90 islands and islets is home to about 110,000 people and sits between China and Taiwan’s main island.
Thousands of Taiwanese troops are stationed there, with recent live-fire drills involving tanks, artillery, mortars and infantry rehearsing how to repel an amphibious landing.
Military experts said holding Penghu would allow Taiwan to strike Chinese ships and aircraft approaching the main island.
“If People's Liberation Army (PLA) ships tried to attack Taiwan while bypassing Penghu, these ships could be struck by missiles from Penghu,” said Su Tzu-yun of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
Taiwan has deployed longer-range Hsiung Feng missiles to Penghu, which could also threaten Chinese forces gathering along the mainland coast before an invasion.
During the annual Han Kuang exercises, the Navy’s Coastal Operations Command deployed to Penghu for the first time, placing missile launch vehicles in anti-ship and anti-landing positions.
Taiwan also established its first drone force on the islands in July and used unmanned aerial vehicles during the drills.
A senior Taiwanese official said that if China seized Penghu, the entire Taiwan Strait would effectively fall under Beijing’s control.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not renounced the use of force. U.S. officials have said President Xi Jinping has ordered the People’s Liberation Army to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027.
China’s Defense Ministry has called Taiwan’s efforts to fortify offshore islands “increasingly absurd and delusional” and warned of “total destruction” if Taipei provoked war.
In a war game involving retired U.S., Taiwanese and Japanese military officials last year, Penghu fell just one day after China launched surprise long-range strikes across Taiwan.
The rapid simulated takeover surprised Taiwanese participants, according to a report reviewed by Reuters.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has said such exercises are taken into account when adjusting defensive plans.
Taiwan is also training Penghu residents for emergencies.
Around 1,200 people on the islands have been certified under Taiwan’s “whole-of-society defense resilience” program, which includes first aid and wartime support training.
Civil defense groups could be tasked with distributing rations, building fortifications and countering enemy propaganda.
Local businesses are also cooperating with authorities. During an August drill, workers at an auto repair shop practiced fixing military vehicles alongside Taiwanese troops.
Authorities are preparing for a possible Chinese blockade as well. Magong, Penghu’s main urban center, has held drills simulating isolation and full-scale combat, while local governments have agreements with grocery stores, pharmacies and construction firms to secure supplies and repair capabilities.
Residents in some areas have been advised to keep more than half a month’s worth of supplies at home.
Penghu has long held military importance. Its deep natural harbor has been used in invasions of Taiwan over centuries and was bombed by allied forces during World War II.
Ian Easton of the U.S. Naval War College said the islands could prove difficult to capture.
“If the terrible crunch ever comes, the PLA will find these islands a tough nut to crack,” he said.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
