Taipei:Dennis Blair, former U.S. national intelligence director under President Barack Obama, has praised Taiwan for reforming its Han Kuang military exercises into a comprehensive defense initiative involving the entire society. Blair emphasized the significance of this transformation during a virtual address at a security conference in Taipei.
According to Focus Taiwan, Blair highlighted that by evolving the exercises from a strictly military focus to a broader national defensive strategy, Taiwan is ensuring that all its capabilities are effectively mobilized. This approach demonstrates Taiwan's commitment to self-defense and could encourage support from regional partners and like-minded nations in times of crisis.
Blair warned that if Taiwan were to succumb to external pressure, it could lead to broader regional insecurity, affecting countries such as Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Korea. The Han Kuang exercises, initiated in 1984, originally involved only military personnel but now include civil-military operations as part of Taiwan's defense resilience.
In his address, Blair also advocated for Taiwan to maintain vigilant maritime monitoring and law enforcement against Chinese incursions, while pursuing proactive diplomacy akin to the Philippines' approach in the South China Sea. He stressed the importance of challenging China's claims and operations through innovative public diplomacy to prevent China from reshaping international perceptions.
Blair's remarks were part of the 2026 International Conference on Sea Lane Security, organized by Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council. At the conference's opening, Lii Wen, deputy secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, expressed gratitude to international allies for opposing China's destabilizing activities in regional waters and called for enhanced cooperation to bolster maritime security and early-warning systems.