ABSTRACT
The key goal of Taiwan’s (Republic of China) defence policy is to prevent the People’s Republic of China – with the support of the USA – from attempting to use military force to enforce unification on Beijing’s terms. Should such a strategy of deterrence fail, Taiwan’s armed forces would need to be in a position to prevent a Chinese invasion. Previously, Taiwan relied on a number of military factors to deter Chinese aggression. These included the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) inability to project sufficient power across the 100-mile Taiwan Strait; the Taiwanese forces’ technological superiority; the inherent geographic advantages of island defence; and the high likelihood of US intervention in the event of an unprovoked Chinese attack, based on the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) of 1979.
