Taiwan president expected to announce new air defence system in face of Chinese pressure

TAIPEI – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is expected to announce a new advanced “all-domain” air defence system to better defend against China when he gives his keynote national day speech on Oct 10, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

Democratically governed Taiwan has faced increased military and political pressure from China, which views the island as its own territory over the strong objections of the government in Taipei.

Taiwan is ramping up defence spending and modernising its armed forces, but faces a China that has a far larger military and is adding its own advanced new weapons like stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers and a huge array of missiles.

Mr Lai is expected to announce the air defence system dubbed “Taiwan Dome” in his speech, one of the sources said.

The system will integrate domestically produced and foreign equipment, utilising smart technology for “comprehensive system integration”, according to the source.

It will help address increasingly complex threats, such as dealing with a combination of drones, rockets, missiles and military aircraft, the source said.

Just like in Israel, whose

Iron Dome network

of missile defences has been employed against attacks from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran, Taiwan society can operate more “resiliently and normally” with the new system, the first source added.

Plans for the new system are currently being drafted, and “initial integration” will start soon, the source went on to say, without elaborating.

A separate source, not connected with the information about the new defence system, told Reuters that Mr Lai’s speech will talk about increasing defence spending and strengthening social resilience, to protect peace through strength and demonstrate determination to safeguard Taiwan with concrete actions.

That involves building a strong line of defence for freedom and democracy, Mr Lai will say, according to the official.

Mr Lai will also say he will “responsibly maintain the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”, the official added.

China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, says Mr Lai is a “separatist” and has rebuffed repeated offers of talks from him. Mr Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

China this week

accused Mr Lai of “prostituting” himself

to foreigners after he gave an interview lauding US President Donald Trump.

China staged a day of war games around the island in 2024 shortly after Mr Lai’s national day speech in what it said was a warning to “separatist acts”, and Taiwan is tracking Chinese activities for any early warning signs of a repeat of the 2024 drills.

China’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters on Oct 9, when asked if there would be war games in response to Mr Lai’s speech, that China would “firmly defend national sovereignty, reunification and territorial integrity”. It did not elaborate.

Taiwan’s national day is held on the anniversary of a 1911 uprising that led to the overthrow of China’s last imperial dynasty and establishment of the Republic of China.

The republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists, and the Republic of China remains the island’s formal name. REUTERS