Deputy Defense Minister Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) says Taiwan values civil defense and the military’s defense capabilities are a priority. Po spoke on Tuesday, a few days after former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien visited Taiwan.
During his visit, O’Brien suggested that Taiwan’s government should provide shooting courses for civilians, so that at least a million of them could use weapons like AK-47 assault rifles. O’Brien said civilians could learn to use the weapons to protect their homes, and that the training needed to start before, not after an attack on Taiwan.
Po says he respects O’Brien’s opinion, but he did not encourage the idea of training civilians to use assault rifles. He says Taiwan has been strengthening its defense against potential invasions, but civilians and the military do not need to prepare to the same degree.
Po also addressed concerns that Taiwan’s newly bought artillery rocket system and harpoon missiles could not integrate with the military’s existing equipment. He says there’s no need to worry and the military extensively considers equipment compatibility before purchasing weapons.