Taiwan prepares for war with seven months of food supplies to resist Chinese blockade

The Taiwanese government made public its food strategy during the war and took active steps to ensure sufficient supplies in the event of a Chinese blockade.

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture, the island is stockpiling monthly supplies of staple foods such as rice and is improving access to storage facilities across Taiwan to reduce possible risks of attacks.

China has often claimed Taiwan as part of its own territory and has stepped up military activity around the island over the past five years, including regular military exercises.

These exercises included simulated blockades and attacks on Taiwanese ports. Military exercises last week focused on blockades of key ports and attacks on both sea and land targets.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture said in a report to parliament that the island’s current rice supplies are enough to last at least another seven months.

In the event of a crisis, the government plans to ration rice through supply stations throughout Taiwan.

The ministry also said that in the event of a prolonged blockade, more agricultural land would be allocated to grow staple foods such as fresh vegetables, rice, soybeans and sweet potatoes.

Aquaculture ponds will also be given priority in the development of 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 exceed the legal three-month minimum, with special attention being paid to distributing food across the island to reduce the risks of any possible attacks.

Taiwan was an agricultural center during Japanese colonial rule, but the transition to industrialization in the 1960s limited available farmland, leading to the island’s decline in self-sufficiency.

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

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said China’s cyber forces are improving their capabilities to disrupt critical online infrastructure, including telecommunications, and destabilize Taiwan.

Over the past two years, Chinese military patrols near Taiwan have been carried out three to four times a month, increasingly involving landing ships, tankers and other military units.

The bureau spoke about China’s plans to establish a blockade and control over external sea routes as part of its military strategy.

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

Koo said one-fifth of global cargo traffic passes through the Taiwan Strait and any blockade would severely impact international shipping.

Last week’s Chinese exercise, although short-lived, raised concerns. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry also said China’s oldest aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, sailed through the Taiwan Strait this week.

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

Link: Reuters