TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) visited units on Green Island and in Taitung on Tuesday to learn about their efforts to maintain combat readiness. 

Koo first arrived on Green Island to inspect the Air Force Weather Wing’s detachment, Military News Agency reported. He praised the unit’s ongoing efforts to preserve equipment and improve living facilities.

Koo then went to Taiping Base in Taitung, where he observed troops from Taitung Area Command conduct exercises and checked their equipment. He was also briefed on the progress of new construction projects at the base. He thanked the troops for devoting themselves day and night to safeguarding Taitung.

The defense minister said that with the Lunar New Year approaching, on-duty soldiers must stick to their duties and closely monitor enemy activities.

Koo’s visits come as Taiwan is strengthening its defense on its east coast. The military has labeled Qixingtan Beach in Hualien and Jhihben Beach in Taitung as “red beaches,” which are likely places where China may launch an amphibious assault to seize Taiwan. 

Taiwan was expected to receive its first Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement in December. It purchased the missiles from the US in 2021 and plans to deploy them in Hualien and Taitung Counties. The military did not disclose how many it bought.

In December, the military conducted six days of live-fire training at the Taimali River estuary in Taitung. Military sources said tanks, machine guns, and mortars were used so troops could familiarize themselves with a battlefield environment and verify their coastal combat readiness. 

The National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology also carried out artillery test-firing and unmanned systems reconnaissance at the base in Jiupeng.