Defense ministry discloses 45-year-old battle scheme

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on March 27, 2006. It reports that the Ministry of National Defense recently disclosed a 45-year-old battle plan for retaking China. According to the plan, the late president Chiang Kai-shek had intended to kick off the confrontation by provoking China into attacking the Nationalist government on Taiwan.

Chiang unveiled his plan to more than 200 elite members of the armed forces in 1963. He illustrated how the military in Taiwan should shoot across the Taiwan Strait for three to four days, in order to provoke the Chinese Communists to attack. Chiang's theory was that once the Communists attacked, it could serve as a "justified excuse" for Taiwan to declare war on China. Taiwan's armed forces could then launch a landing operation.

However, Chiang's plan was strongly opposed by the United States, whose troops at that time were engaged in a combined-defense task to safeguard Taiwan in the post-Second World War period. In order to conceal the existence of Taiwan's military preparation from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense established a strategic center in the rural area of Sanxia Township in northern Taiwan's Taipei County. The United States eventually found out about the existence of the center and moved to closely monitor Taiwan's armed forces.

Nonetheless, Chiang managed to have 110 mechanized landing crafts and 164 small battleships constructed. These were hidden in various inlets on Kinmen and Matsu islands. Chiang's plan included a total of 26 battle sub-plans in five categories - prewar landing operation, combat behind enemy lines, raiding, follow-up counterattack, and anti-violence task forces.

In the end, despite Chiang's elaborate battle plans, the government's enthusiasm in attacking China began to subside due to difficulties in obtaining weapons from the United States. But Chiang was still determined to regain control over China. In 1965, he assembled all military officials at Taiwan's Military Academy and told them to prepare for war.

In August 1965, two Taiwanese navy vessels carrying special task forces to inspect conditions on the Chinese coast were torpedoed and sunk by the Chinese military, killing about 200 men. Again in November that year, anther ship was sunk near Kinmen. After these two incidents, Chiang began to realize that it was possible for Taiwan to retake China by force. His plan was eventually "deactivated" and classified in 1972, when Taiwan withdrew from the United Nations and was busy handling other increasingly difficult international relations. The navy vessels built by Chiang in the 1960s are still in commission to this day.

The details of Chiang's plan, as well as related comments provided 17 retired officials from the Ministry of National Defense, are documented in the ministry's recent publication. The publication is titled "A dust-laden combat plan: dictations of the Kuokuang Project". "Kuokuang" in Chinese means "national glory".