Taiwan Fortifies Penghu Islands Against Feared Chinese First Strike

PENGHU, TAIWAN —

In the predawn darkness on an island in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwanese troops earlier this month pulled long 105 millimeter shells from their canisters and loaded them into the hatches of four tanks, according to the Japan Times and the Straits Times. Soldiers waited in silence for the order to fire.

The troops are part of a garrison of thousands stationed on the Penghu Islands, a cluster of 90 islands and islets about 50 kilometers off the southwestern coast of Taiwan's main island, the Straits Times reported. Senior Taiwanese security officials and military experts say the archipelago, known mostly for its beaches and coral reefs, would be hit in the first wave of any Chinese invasion attempt, according to the Japan Times.

A Chokepoint for Any Invasion Fleet

Holding Penghu would let Taiwanese forces resist a Chinese invasion fleet heading toward the main island, the Straits Times reported. To keep its ships and aircraft from being exposed to attack, Beijing would need to seize Penghu or destroy the long-range missiles stationed there, according to Su Tzu-yun of Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

Chinese vessels trying to bypass the islands "could be struck by missiles from Penghu," Su told the Straits Times. "That forces the PLA to attack Penghu before it can attack Taiwan," he said, referring to China's People's Liberation Army.

A senior Taiwanese official, speaking to the Straits Times on condition of anonymity, said deploying longer range weapons such as Hsiung Feng III missiles on Penghu could also let Taiwan strike Chinese forces massing along the coast before they cross the strait. If Penghu falls, the official said, the entire strait would effectively come under Chinese control.

During the sixth day of Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises on August 10, artillery crews fired illumination rounds out to sea before four tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled forward, firing at simulated invaders, the Straits Times reported. The same week, the navy's Coastal Operations Command sent Hsiung Feng missile launchers to Penghu's beaches for the first time.

Drones, Volunteers, and a Warning From Beijing

Taiwan's Defense Ministry has pushed to use drones to defend the islands, establishing its first drone force there in July, with the unmanned aircraft deployed during the exercises, the Straits Times reported. Taipei also runs civil resilience programs that train roughly 110,000 residents of Penghu for wartime emergencies and works with local businesses on wartime logistics and repairs.

China has not renounced the use of force against Taiwan, which it considers its own territory even though the island is self-governed. U.S. officials have said Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the People's Liberation Army to be ready to take Taiwan by 2027, the Straits Times reported. Taiwan says its future can be decided only by its own people.

China's Defense Ministry did not respond to questions about Penghu, according to the Straits Times. Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin told reporters that Taiwan's fortification plans are "increasingly absurd and delusional" and that Taipei faces "total destruction" if it provokes war.

Retired Chinese Lieutenant General Wang Hongguang suggested in 2019 that the PLA could pressure Taiwan by occupying Penghu, according to Chinese state media cited by the Straits Times.