Taiwan has no plan to help secure Strait of Hormuz: Minister

Taipei, March 20 (CNA) Taiwan's defense minister said Friday that the country's military has not considered sending troops to assist in the defense of the Strait of Hormuz, currently blocked by Iranian forces, amid calls for Taiwan to do so.

Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Iranian forces have taken military action against fuel tankers passing through the strait, through which around one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transits, sending global oil and LNG prices soaring.

In response, U.S. President Donald Trump has asked the U.S.' allies to send ships to help secure the strait. In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan expressed their readiness to "contribute to appropriate efforts" to ensure safe passage through the strait.

At a legislative meeting on Friday, opposition Kuomintang Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) asked Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) how Taiwan would respond if Trump asked it to help defend the strait.

Hsu cited Indo-Pacific Strategy Thinktank CEO Yaita Akio and former Pentagon official Tony Hu (胡振東), who have recommended that the Taiwanese government proactively signal to Trump its willingness to send troops to the strait to help secure it, thereby furthering bilateral ties.

Koo replied that the ministry "has not considered such an operation."

"The mission of the armed forces is to defend Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. Our entire focus is on the escalating gray zone harassment and potential military threats," Koo said.

Koo noted that China has been prosecuting "high-intensity gray zone harassment" -- coercive actions short of an all-out war -- against Taiwan, by sending at least five ships to its vicinity daily.

The military will prioritize the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region and continue gathering intelligence on enemy movements, he said.