TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s armed forces are in need of massive reforms amid increasing military aggressiveness from China, according to a former defense official.

Retired admiral and former chief of general staff for Taiwan’s military Lee Hsi-min (李喜明) told Nikkei in an exclusive interview that the country needs to develop its asymmetric warfare capabilities. Rather than focusing on pricey conventional weapons like fighter planes, tanks, and warships, Lee feels Taiwan should look to prioritize cheaper weapon systems that are harder for China to target.

Citing a warning from Adm. Philip Davidson, former commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, who told Congress last year that China would have the ability to invade by 2027, Lee said time is of the essence for Taiwan.

The U.S. has been pushing Taiwan to improve and adjust its defensive capabilities and weapons procurements. And while the Tsai administration has increased defense spending, it has yet to put in place the sweeping reforms Lee and U.S. experts are calling for, according to Nikkei.

Lee told the outlet that Taiwan and America need to develop a plan for military cooperation. One option, he said, would be for Taipei to focus on close-range defense, while Washington could be responsible for long-range battles.

The former defense official believes the key to military reforms in Taiwan should be centered on asymmetric defense. In 2019 alone, China spent more than US$250 billion (NT$7.48 trillion) on defense, while Taiwan spent US$11 billion, so it’s clear that Taiwan cannot outspend China militarily.

“We don’t have deterrence by alliances, because Taiwan doesn’t have formal military pacts with other countries, or nuclear deterrence. But deterrence by denial can deter a Chinese invasion by raising the cost for China via asymmetric defense. Even if they were willing to pay the price, the strategy adds uncertainty to whether they could take over Taiwan,” Lee told Nikkei.

Lee noted that Taiwan needs weapons that can evade Chinese missiles and airstrikes. The military also needs large numbers of “small, distributed, lethal weapons across the country, so the invaders can expect a strong resistance even when they manage to cross the strait and come over, especially when they are bigger in size and easier to be targeted,” Lee said.

He also told Nikkei that Taiwan should learn from Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Force and form a standing, all-volunteer Taiwanese territorial defense force. Lee said a force like this would compel China to see that any attempted military occupation would be protracted and violent, in addition to boosting overall deterrence.