Taiwan needs a new defence strategy to deal with China

The Yu Shan landing platform is one of the navy’s largest vessels. The 10,000-tonne warship rises out of the water at Zuoying naval base, its missiles pointing skyward. In January the defence ministry invited reporters aboard, noting that the ship could carry amphibious assault vehicles, land helicopters and launch smaller boats. This is Taiwan’s first amphibious warship of such a size, replacing an American one built in 1969. President Tsai Ing-wen praised it as a symbol of Taiwan’s “national defence autonomy”. Taiwan must counter Chinese threats by giving its armed forces the best equipment, she declared.