New Report Available: Taiwan Defence & Security Report Q4 2014

The power asymmetry between Taiwan and mainland China is widening as Beijing continues to boost defence spending. Coupled with increasing nationalism and assertion on the part of Beijing, this has helped force the Ma administration to follow a more diplomatic approach to cross-Strait relations.

Relative to GDP, Taiwan's defence spending is in decline, and it is gradually moving towards disbanding the existing policy of conscription to establish an all-volunteer force. On the one hand, Taiwan's decision to scale back its armed forces in combination with a significant decline in defence imports may point to closer integration with China. Indeed, in Q114 China and Taiwan held the first government-to-government talks in 65 years, a highly symbolic development that builds on the earlier successes of Ma's government . On the other hand, these cutbacks may signify an increased reliance on a US counterbalance to China's rise. Taiwan's various defence and security ties with the US reinforce the predominance of this relationship for Taipei.

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Indeed, Taiwan continues to be extremely dependent on the US for the procurement of its defence equipment. A current priority for the Taiwanese military is the upgrade of its existing fleet of F-16 fighter jets. Taiwan is reportedly linking its F-16 upgrades to the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite programme, to be integrated by US defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin. These costly upgrades, as well as a potentially limited procurement of F-35 fighter jets, are currently monopolising funds for defence equipment. Other procurement priorities include diesel-electric submarines as well as an early-warning and missile-defence system that would help the island to withstand any Chinese assault until US intervention could occur.

Despite these substantial investments, the value of Taiwan's total defence imports fell in 2013. Part of the reason for this is the improved capacity of domestic defence manufacturers to meet the...

The Taiwan Defence & Security Report features Business Monitor International (BMI)'s independent forecasts for national and international security, the defence industry, military expenditure, employment in arms production, and arms imports and exports, as well as examining industry trends and prospects, national and multinational arms producers and the regulatory environment.

BMI's Taiwan Defence & Security Report provides professionals, consultancies, government departments, regulatory bodies and researchers with independent forecasts and regional competitive intelligence on the Taiwanese defence and security industry.

Key Benefits

* Benchmark BMI's independent defence and security industry forecasts on Taiwan to test other views - a key input for successful budgetary and strategic business planning in the Taiwanese defence and security market.

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