Taiwan Prepares For War With 7-Month Food Shipments To Withstand Chinese Blockade

The Taiwanese government has revealed its wartime food strategy and taken proactive steps to ensure there are enough supplies in case of a Chinese blockade.

Per Taiwan’s agriculture ministry, the island is storing monthly inventories of essential food items like rice and is improving storage access across Taiwan to reduce possible attack risks.

China has often claimed Taiwan as part of its own territory and also has increased military activities around the island over the past five years, including regular war drills.

These exercises included mock blockades and attacks on Taiwanese ports. Last week’s war drills focused on the blockade of key ports and attacks on both maritime and ground targets.

Taiwan’s agriculture ministry said in a report to parliament that the island’s current rice stocks are sufficient to sustain it for at least another seven months.

The government plans to ration rice through supply stations across Taiwan if a crisis occurs.

The ministry also said that in the case of a prolonged blockade, more agricultural land will be allocated to growing staple foods like fresh vegetables, rice, soybeans and sweet potatoes.

Aquaculture ponds will also be given priority in promoting fish farming in the area.

The report discussed the importance of monthly food inventories and the formation of a task force dedicated to ensuring the island’s food security.

Taiwan’s rice stocks have been stored beyond the legally required three-month minimum, with a strong focus on food distribution across the island to reduce the risks of any possible attacks.

Taiwan was a farming powerhouse during Japanese colonial rule, but shifting to industrialization in the 1960s limited accessible farmland, leading to a decline in the island’s self-sufficiency.

Per an earlier report by the ministry, Taiwan’s food self-sufficiency rate fell to 30.3% in 2023, the lowest in 18 years.

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said that China’s cyber forces are upskilling themselves to disrupt crucial online infrastructure, including telecommunications, to destabilize Taiwan.

Over the last two years, Chinese military patrols near Taiwan have taken place three to four times per month, with increased participation from landing ships, tanker crafts, and other military units.

The bureau talked about China’s plan to build a blockade and control external sea routes as part of its military strategy.

Wellington Koo, Taiwan’s defense minister, warned that an actual blockade would be considered an act of war under international law, with far-reaching consequences for global trade.

Koo said that one-fifth of global freight passes across the Taiwan Strait, and any blockade would seriously affect international shipping.

Last week’s Chinese drills, though for a short period, have raised concerns. Taiwan’s defense ministry also reported that China’s oldest aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, sailed through the Taiwan Strait this week.

The ministry added that the Taiwanese military was closely monitoring the movements of the Chinese fleet.

Reference: Reuters

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