TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Ou Hsi-fu (歐錫富), an Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) expert on Chinese political and military affairs, on Saturday (March 20) commented on the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR).

The academic shared his observations on the review in his National Defense Security Analysis Report, which was released Saturday.

Ou pointed out that the QDR includes the concept of “forcing the enemy to capitulate” and details the nation’s development of asymmetric combat power. These strategies have appeared in a number of past MND documents but have undergone many adjustments over the years, CNA quoted him as saying.

Ou noted that at the end of the annual Han Kuang 33 exercise in May 2017, the MND had altered the term "decisive victory on the beach" to "decisive coastal victory" and adjusted its defensive strategy accordingly, signifying that the beach was considered the last line of defense. This change was due to the Chinese military's focus on "beyond the horizon" operations in recent years, which entails carrying out rapid beach landings from outside the defending force’s field of operations.

Ou stated that in the future, the military will deploy its assets in and around Taiwan’s coastal areas with the goal of destroying most of the enemy force. He cited the MND’s 2019 National Defense Report (NDR) as stating that in accordance with the country’s “defense and deterrence” strategy, the military is embracing the concepts of "combat power preservation, decisive coastal victory, and eliminating the enemy on the beach."

These approaches play into "innovative and asymmetric" thinking, Ou remarked. He added that they help realize the goal of “forcing the enemy to capitulate.”

The think tank researcher noted that the contents of the 2021 QDR are very similar to the 2019 NDR. However, the QDR emphasizes the use of asymmetrical warfare to avoid enemy attacks head-on and instead strike at the invading force’s center and other vital points, using local geographic advantages in the Taiwan Strait.

Ou pointed out that with the acquisition of long-range strike weapons, Taiwan will be able to attack the enemy at sea, not just on beaches.