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Su Tzu-yun

(蘇紫雲)

Su Tzu-yun
蘇紫雲
The latest news and top stories on Su Tzu-yun. An expert in defence and security, he serves as a Research Fellow and Director at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Security Research, and an Assistant Professor at Tamkang University. He has expertise in military strategies, defence economics, and Indo-Pacific geopolitics.
The number of eligible male conscripts in Taiwan is projected to fall from nearly 98,000 in 2023 to below by 2027. That would mark the first time the total would be under 80,000. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan

Taiwan military gains 5,000 volunteers, but ‘real problem’ is retention

Higher pay drives surprise surge despite demographic decline and questions about combat readiness, but keeping them may be another matter.

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Taiwan

The missile funding dispute endangering Taiwan’s ‘T-Dome’ air defence plan

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Taiwan

Too few troops, too much tech: Taiwan’s demographic crisis forces reform

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Taiwan

Amid PLA pressure, Taiwan starts drill to simulate rapid deployment in a crisis

Officials say sustained mainland air and naval operations mean the island’s military will have less time to respond to a crisis.

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Taiwan's defence ministry announced the exercise hours after reporting that the PLA had conducted its second “long-range maritime training mission” of the year on Sunday. Photo: AP
Taiwan

Taiwan’s website for intelligence tips from mainland China spurs debate

‘Contact window’ launched for political, military, economic and social intelligence but critics say disinformation will be a challenge.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Did US pressure before Xi-Trump summit force KMT hand on Taiwan’s defence budget?

Taiwan’s main opposition parties have cleared special defence budget bill after months of fractious debate and infighting.

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Taiwan

Taiwan completes US tank deal as final Abrams shipment reaches port

Acquisition marks the biggest upgrade to Taiwan’s armoured forces in decades as island moves to bolster northern defence.

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A US-made M1A2T Abrams tank fires at a target during a live-fire drill in Taiwan’s Hsinchu county in July 2025. Photo: EPA
Taiwan

‘Deny, delay, degrade’: Taiwan reveals long-range strategy to hold off PLA

Focus is on building sustained and scalable combat capability, defence minister tells legislature as procurement report is tabled.

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Taiwan

What lessons does Taiwan see from Iran and Ukraine for its air-defence strategy?

Expensive missiles cannot stop large waves of rockets and drones in an armed conflict, officials on the self-ruled island warn.

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Taiwan

Whose vision for Taiwan’s military will win? Rival defence bills reveal rift

The island’s main political parties clash over whether to prioritise US arms or invest in home-grown weapons and ‘T-Dome’ air shield.

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Washington has approved US$11 billion in sales of weapons and systems to Taiwan, including Himars rocket launchers. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

US strike on Iran fuels Taiwan’s air defence debate and energy supply fears

Analysts say attacks on Iran illustrate Taipei’s need for integrated weapons systems, superior intelligence and electronic warfare.

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The US strikes on Iran underscore the urgency of accelerating Taipei’s plans for a layered air defence network, Taiwanese observers say. Photo: Getty Images
Taiwan

Taiwan is buying expensive US weapons systems, but are they the right ones?

The pricey arms packages are already facing legislative pushback. Now critics say they may be addressing the wrong threat.

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China-Japan relations

How Takaichi’s big win in Japan may complicate Beijing’s Taiwan policy

Taiwan’s opposition leader warns against ‘being reduced to a pawn in strategic competition’, urges efforts to prevent conflict in strait.

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Taiwan

Will Taiwan meet sub delivery deadline, unlock defence funds with Hai Kun tests?

Prototype under Indigenous Defence Submarine programme is seen as central to boosting asymmetric naval capabilities to counter Beijing.

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Video footage shared by the company behind the prototype showed the sub operating at periscope depth, conducting rudder control and mast deployment tests. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

Taiwan wants an effective reserve force. Will live-fire drills do the job?

Challenges in forging conscripts into fighting force range from inadequate training facilities to eroding public will to defend the island.

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Taiwanese military reservists in pre-combat training during the annual Han Kuang military exercises in July. Photo: EPA
Taiwan

US defence strategy omission raises alarm in Taiwan over Trump’s intentions

Document splits opinion, with some experts fearing that the island could become a bargaining chip between Washington and Beijing.

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Taiwan

What Beijing’s drone flight over Pratas Island means for its Taiwan strategy

Analysts say PLA’s first confirmed drone deployment in Taiwan-claimed airspace is the latest ‘salami-slicing’ tactic towards the island.

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United States

As I see it | Welcome, world, to the American jungle

Far from deterring China and Russia, the operation signals that brute force, not international law, now defines American action.

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US Drug Enforcement Administration agents move captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores out of a helicopter in New York City, on January 5. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan

Taiwan fears copycat PLA ‘decapitation’ strike after US grabs Venezuelan leader

Taipei says its military stands ready, but security experts warn about Beijing’s ability to quickly pivot from drills to actual combat.

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Taiwan

Taiwan’s leader seeks T-Dome ‘connectivity’ to fend off Beijing attack

William Lai Ching-te outlines ‘layered defence’ fusion of satellite, radar and drone data to create backbone for security shield.

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Taiwan

Why has reference to Taiwan attending Rimpac been removed from US defence bill?

Senators’ bid to ‘strongly encourage’ invitation is removed from compromise bill, raising questions in Taipei.

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Some of the naval ships taking part in the 2024 Rimpac exercises, as seen from the Japanese JS Kunisaki. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan

Taiwan’s plan to acquire drone ‘takeover’ technology sparks security debate

Network would protect key infrastructure from incursions by small commercial drones but there are concerns over use of takeover function.

Mainland Chinese firm DJI accounts for an estimated 70 to 75 per cent of the global civilian drone market, including Taiwan. Photo: Shutterstock
Taiwan

Taiwanese military budgets US$32 million for drone tech amid Beijing’s pressure

Citing the Ukraine war, plan entails ‘forward-looking multi-integration development project’ for uncrewed platforms between 2026 and 2028.

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US-China relations

US Senate pushes for Taiwan to attend Rimpac drill in latest defence bill

The move is meant to send a message to Beijing and deter its growing military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, analysts say.

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Taiwan

Could Taiwan’s ‘high-low’ attack drone plan overwhelm PLA defences?

Island’s Ukraine-inspired tactics will pair pricey cruise missiles with cheaper swarm-capable UAVs.

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Taiwan’s MQM-178 Fireject drone. The training UAV is at the centre of new efforts to leverage cost efficiencies and scale by converting it into a long-range loitering munition dubbed the Chien Feng IV. Photo: Kratos
Taiwan

Taiwan unveils ‘carrier killer’ plans in bid to deter mainland Chinese forces

The island’s defence ministry has announced efforts to develop a long-range, subsonic missile to boost its naval defences.

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Analysts say Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng missiles are not enough to counter the PLA Navy. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Alarms ring in Taipei as Beijing activates another Taiwan Strait flight route

The civil aviation path skirts airspace surrounding two sensitive offshore islands administered by Taipei.

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