I.The current international strategic environment is profoundly influenced by the interplay of major-power competition, regional conflicts, and developments in military technology, leading to a continual rise in geopolitical risks. In Europe, despite the mediation efforts by multiple nations, the Russia-Ukraine war remains in a stalemate. In the Middle East, the Israel-Hamas conflict has reached the first-stage goals of a ceasefire and hostage exchange; however, subsequent issues such as governance in Gaza, armed force restructuring, and the allocation of reconstruction funds, remain highly complex. Meanwhile, in South and Southeast Asia, military confrontations have erupted along the India-Pakistan border, as well as armed clashes on the Thailand-Cambodia frontier.
II.At the same time, the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) is actively expanding its regional influence to enhance its global standing. It has been conducting regular gray-zone intrusions around the Taiwan Strait, employing tactics such as so-called “joint combat readiness patrols,” coercive approaches by military aircraft and vessels, and the unilateral alteration of international civil aviation routes. These actions aim to exert psychological pressure and tactical deterrence against our nation, deplete our defense capabilities, and demonstrate its ability to deny foreign intervention, thereby posing a serious challenge to regional security.
III.The security situation in the Taiwan Strait continues to draw significant international attention. Recent events including the G7 Summit, the US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Summit, and newly released Defense of Japan all underscore that peace across the Taiwan Strait is of paramount importance, serving as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. According to estimates by Bloomberg Economics, a war in the Taiwan Strait could result in global losses of approximately 10 trillion U.S. dollars, equivalent to 10% of the world’s GDP, highlighting that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait has become a broad consensus within the international community.
Excerpt from: R.O.C. National Defense Report, 4th Session of the 11th Legislative Yuan