Taiwan studying Ukraine war tactics, discussing with US, says defence minister

Taiwan's defence ministry has set up a working group to study thetacticsof thewarinUkraine, including how the country has been able to hold out against Russia, and has beendiscussingthis with the United States, its minister said on Thursday.

Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has raised its alert level since the Russian invasion,wary of Beijing possibly making a similar move on the island, though it has reported no signs this is about to happen.

The possible impact of thewaron China's military thinking onTaiwan, and how China could attack the island, has been widely debated in official circles in Taipei.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of parliament, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said they had had "contact" with foreign countries to talk about how thewarwas being fought, and had set up their own working group to study it.

TopicsTaiwanis following include Russia's poor military performance andUkraine's resistance, he said.

"It is not only discussed in exchange meetings between the United States andTaiwan, but also discussed with other countries that have regular contacts withTaiwan," Chiu added, without giving details.

Taiwan's team onUkraineincludes academics from the National Defence University, he said.

"However, we will not make remarks rashly, but through internal discussions which are important, to get results that are helpful for building armaments and preparing forwar."

WhileTaiwanese officials have seen many parallels in theUkrainewarand their own situation, including having their own giant neighbour with territorial ambitions, they have also pointed to major differences.

Taiwanhas talked, for example, of the "natural barrier" of theTaiwanStrait which would make China putting troops on the ground much more difficult than Russia just crossing over its land border withUkraine.

Taiwanalso has a large and well-equipped air force, and is developing its own formidable missile strike capability.

China has been stepping up its military pressure againstTaiwanover the past two years or so.

Taiwanrejects China's sovereignty claims, and says only the island's people can decide their future.

Watch |Ukraine war reverberates in Taiwan: Matsu islanders fear Chinese action