At Taiwan arms show, vendors bank on cheap weapons for big damage

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The Taipei Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, TADTE for short, opened its doors on Sep. 18 to promote the latest Taiwanese defense products and to showcase recent acquisitions.

The event came as Taiwan considers the best way forward to counter aggressive Chinese maneuvers, which analysts say are designed to soften the island for an eventual confrontation.

Beijing is clear about its ambitions. Defense Minister Dong Jun told an audience of international military officials at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum this week that the “restoration” of Taiwan to China “is an integral part of the post-war international order.”

Dong warned China would “never allow any separatist attempts for Taiwan independence to succeed,” and that it would thwart “any external military interfe