TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) released a report Monday (Dec. 15) outlining a "decentralized warfare" strategy (去中心化) enabling units to fight independently during sudden Chinese attacks. The strategy aims to prevent China's People's Liberation Army from escalating "from training to exercises, and from exercises to warfare," according to the ministry. The report was submitted to Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan (立法院), ahead of a scheduled briefing Wednesday with Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) and National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥).
Under the "decentralized control" approach, individual military units would operate autonomously, using "distributed management" protocols, if enemy forces launched a sudden attack. The ministry stated units would execute combat missions without awaiting orders from central command. This represents a departure from Taiwan's traditional hierarchical military structure, designed to ensure operational continuity even if communication lines are severed.
However, the report left several key questions unanswered, drawing scrutiny from defense analysts and legislators ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary briefing. Critics are expected to press officials on how units would determine when to act independently, how success would be measured, and what coordination rules would apply. The ministry did not clarify the specific conditions that would trigger decentralized operations.
The report mentions elevating readiness to "Level 2 or Level 1 enhanced alert" but provides no explanation of what these classifications entail. Defense officials are expected to clarify these terms during Wednesday's briefing before the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee (外交及國防委員會). The lack of detail has raised concerns about transparency in Taiwan's defense planning.
The parliamentary briefing may provide more clarity on these gaps in Taiwan's defense strategy amid escalating regional tensions and increasing Chinese military activity near the island. Critics are expected to press officials on several key points, including how individual units would determine when to act independently and how military success would be measured under decentralized operations. Legislators will also want to know what rules would govern coordination between autonomous units. These questions could shape Taiwan's defense posture as cross-strait tensions remain high.
Defense officials may also provide additional details on the timing and scope of the planned 2026 exercises during the briefing. The drills aim to verify that strategic, operational, and tactical-level units can master command procedures and combat protocols. The ministry stated that the exercises would utilize phased drills and comprehensive verification methods to ensure that all levels achieve peacetime-to-wartime transition objectives.
Officials could also outline Taiwan's strategy for Indo-Pacific security cooperation as China's military expansion continues to drive regional instability. The ministry report noted that countries across the Indo-Pacific have strengthened multilateral military agreements in response to the evolving threat environment. Taiwan's defense ministry has been closely monitoring Chinese military activities and sharing intelligence with allied nations through established exchange mechanisms.
Taiwan hopes intelligence sharing with allies will provide early warnings to prevent Chinese military exercises from escalating into actual armed conflict. The ministry emphasized its use of joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. It also highlighted cross-agency information sharing with the National Security Council (NSC, 國家安全會議) and National Security Bureau (NSB, 國家安全局). ◼