Defense autonomy key, ministry saysDETERRENCE: Only by increasing its capabilities can Taiwan’s military show China that it should not act rashly and that such actions would come at a costBy Fang Wei-li and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Ministry of National Defense yesterday stressed the importance of building a self-sufficient, non-China-reliant national defense industry, adding that this focus is a critical part of the ministry’s efforts to develop drone production supply chains. made the remarks in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) yesterday, stating that, as an island, Taiwan is at high risk of being blockaded and cut off from external supplies. Fostering a self-reliant national defense industry would mitigate the threats of such blockades, he said. Department of Strategic Planning Director Lieutenant General Huang Wen-chi speaks to the Chinese-language Liberty Times during an interview yesterday. Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang speaks to the Chinese-language Liberty Times during an interview yesterday.

Source: Taipei Times January 02, 2026 17:17 UTC