This institutional shift will be incredibly unpopular domestically and especially within the Taiwanese Military as it cuts to the competency of fighting men and women to protect both their homeland and citizenry. However, for deterrence to be effective, the enemy must understand some semblance of your capabilities and thus be made to guess or at best, assess, your willingness to use them. Only after acknowledging defeat in this David vs. Goliath contest of comprehensive national strength can Taiwan begin to develop proficiency with its “sling” of unconventional warfare.

In a vote marred by a concerted influence campaign from Beijing, Taiwanese voters re-elected incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen to a second term in January. This marked a clear blow to China’s efforts to bend Taiwan’s domestic politics in favor of the mainland. In her victory speech, President Tsai made her position clear: “With each presidential election, Taiwan is showing the world how much we cherish our democratic way of life. We must work to keep our country safe and defend our sovereignty.” This call to action is noble and timely. Nevertheless, it can only be crafted into a realistic, operational defensive strategy, when Taiwan recognizes its own conventional military inferiority and focuses its efforts on unconventional deterrence.

Nicholas Hanson is a class of 2022 joint degree MPP and MBA candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Business School. He was born and raised on a family farm outside of Monmouth, Illinois. He is a 2011 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Arabic with distinction. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps and, following training, designated as a Ground Intelligence Officer. He served the entirety of his military career in the United States Indo-Pacific Command.

Image: Reuters.