Taiwan's Defense Reform: (Routledge Security in Asia Series)

The stand-off across the Straits of Taiwan continues to be one of the most dangerous confrontations in Asia. The technical superiority of the Taiwanese forces has been a major factor in maintaining balance, but as mainland China's armed forces modernize, Taiwan's advantages are being eroded. In response, Taiwan has recently undertaken a major reform of its armed forces. Bringing together a wide range of experts including people who are involved in defence policy making in Taiwan, this book presents a comprehensive analysis of these reforms, and assesses their likely effectiveness. Chapters are devoted to issues including the Chinese threat, the domestic context of reform, the role of the United States and specific defence issues, making the book an invaluable guide to the changes undertaken and underway within Taiwan’s strategic environment. With a foreword by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan's Defense Reform will be of interest to policy makers and academics working in this vital strategic area.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: The Challenge of Defense Reform Introduction: Taiwan’s Defense Reform 1. Taiwan’s Defense Reform: Questions and Observations Part 2: The External Threat: Mainland China 2. China’s Military Threat to Taiwan in the 21st Century: Coercion or Capture? 3. China’s Military Modernization and Taiwan’s Defense Reform: Programs, Problems, and Prospects Part 3: The Domestic Context of Defense Reform 4. An Overview of Taiwan’s Defense Reform 5. Civilian Roles in Defense Policy-Making 6. An Analysis of the ROC’s Military Organization and Force Structure 7. The Development of Taiwan’s Revolution in Military Affairs after the Implementation of the 2002 National Defense Act Part 4: The Role of the US in Taiwan's Defense Reform 8. The Role of the United States in Taiwan’s Defense Reform 9. Arming Taiwan for the Future: Prospects and Problems Part 5: Specific Defense Reform Issues 10. Funding for Taiwan’s Defense Reform 11. The Republic of China Armed Services’ Human Resource Policy 12. Taiwan’s Military Education and Defense Reform

About the Author :
Martin Edmonds is the Director of Studies and Publications Editor of the Centre for Defence and International Security Studies, and an honorary professorial fellow emeritus in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University. He is also the founding editor-in-chief of the journal Defense and Security Analysis. Michael M. Tsai is Taiwan’s Vice Minister of Defence. Prior to that post, he served in Washington as the Taipei’s deputy representative with specific responsibility for relations with the US Department of Defense. As a member of the DPP, he served as a legislator in the Legislative Yuan and was advisor to the Organizational Planning Committee of the Ministry of National Defense. He is also the founder of the journal Taiwan Defense Affairs and the Institute for Taiwan Defense and Strategic Studies.