TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former US Rear Admiral Mike Studeman urged Taiwan to bolster its resilience to counter the threat from China.
Studeman suggested Taiwan adopt comprehensive defenses across all sectors, including the economy, education, and religion, CNA reported. Beijing even leverages Mazu worship to influence Taiwanese society, he said.
The former rear admiral said China has a two-pronged infiltration strategy: external pressure through psychological and war-of-attrition tactics, and cooperation with Taiwanese organized crime to recruit soldiers and bribe politicians to manipulate the economy and government policy, per CNA.
Studeman said Ukraine successfully countered Russian internal sabotage by closing cyber and other loopholes and streamlining its society against Russian predation. Taiwan should learn from these tactics, he said.
On US-Taiwan intelligence exchanges, Studeman said the level of information sharing is night and day compared with six or seven years ago, CNA reported. However, he said Taiwan faces one of the world’s most severe counterintelligence challenges.
The US must be cautious with the information it provides, as Chinese infiltration could lead to intelligence leaks, Studeman said. Taiwan’s ability to strengthen internal security is therefore directly correlated to the US’ willingness to share more information, he added.
Taiwan must perfect its defense plans and strengthen its own capabilities, Studeman said. If one thinks they can win the favor of leaders like Xi or Putin, Studeman warned, "you might be betting on the wrong horse."
