Summary

Taiwan is not able to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions or attend any of the convention’s meetings due to its international status.

Taiwan states it has never used cluster munitions, but it has imported them. In September 2015, the Ministry of Defense clarified that Taiwan is not manufacturing two cluster munitions as previously reported by the Monitor. Taiwan has not disclosed information on the quantity or types of its stockpiled cluster munitions.

Policy

Due to its international status, Taiwan cannot accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

In September 2011, the Legislative Yuan (Parliament) Research Bureau recommended that cluster munitions be incorporated into Taiwan’s Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act and proposed that the Ministry of National Defense destroy Taiwan’s stockpile of cluster munitions within eight years, which is the time period required by the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[1] The Ministry of National Defense opposed the recommendation and a spokesperson said, “Taiwan has to possess and stockpile cluster munitions to counter the military threat from China,” which has not joined the convention.[2]

In July 2008, the Ministry of National Defense stated that Taiwan could only ban cluster munitions if the convention gains universal support and all countries ban their use. It also said Taiwan needs cluster munitions to attack enemy ships and landing craft in waters close to Taiwan, and to attack enemy airfields.[3] CMC campaign member Eden International (formerly Eden Social Welfare Foundation) has translated and distributed copies of Cluster Munition Monitor reports during advocacy activities supporting the ban on cluster munitions.[4]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Taiwan has never used cluster munitions, but it produces cluster munitions and has imported them. Taiwan has not disclosed information on the quantity or types of its stockpiled cluster munitions.[5]

In July 2021, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense wrote, “Upholding a humanitarian stance and abiding by international conventions, R.O.C Armed Forces has not purchased cluster munitions since 2013.”[6] In September 2015, Taiwan said that two types of weapons it has produced, which Cluster Munition Monitor has listed as cluster munitions in the past, are not cluster munitions. According to a September 2015 letter to Eden International, the Ministry of National Defense stated that neither the RT-2000 multiple launch rocket system or the Wan-Jian missile system have a cluster munition payload version.[7] In June and July 2016, a Defense ministry representative told Eden International that Taiwan decided not to produce a cluster munition variant of these weapons because the government wishes to abide by relevant international treaties.[8]

Previously the Monitor noted that the RT-2000 could reportedly utilize either unitary high-explosive warheads or cluster warheads containing M77 dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) submunition.[9] The Monitor also cited reports that each air-launched Wan-Jian missile carried 100–120 submunitions.[10] In July 2021, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense wrote, “Taiwan has always complied with relevant international conventions, has never sold cluster munitions or missiles to foreign countries, does not plan to sell them in the future; nor has it ever publicly expressed to sell [sic] cluster munitions or related matters.”[11] The Minister also wrote that Taiwan did not produce any cluster munitions in calendar year 2020 or in early 2021.[12]

Taiwan has imported a large number of air-delivered cluster bombs from the United States (US) and is reported to possess CBU-24, CBU-49, CBU-52, CBU-58, CBU-71, and Rockeye cluster bombs.[13] Taiwan has also imported Hydra-70 air-to-surface unguided rocket system, but it is not known if the ammunition types available to it include the M261 Multi-Purpose Submunition rocket.[14] In 2011, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency issued a notification of a sale of 64 CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons to Taiwan.[15]

The Taiwan government has spent NT$6 billion (some US$216 million)[16] in the disposal of expired bombs, including 292 tons of MK20 CBU-100 cluster bombs previously stored at Tainan Airport for use by the US and Taiwan air forces. The destruction was carried out by a Romanian firm. An additional 600 tons of cluster shells for Taiwan Army’s howitzers were stored at the Hhihkengwei ammunition depot in Longtan, Taoyuan, and are to be cleared from the list of weapons and equipment and destroyed.[17]

The Taiwan military removes cluster munition remnants from firing ranges by destroying them in-situ or elsewhere when possible. Six cluster munition weapons were removed in 2020.[18]

Policy

Due to its international status, Taiwan cannot accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. Since 1999, officials have expressed Taiwan’s support for a ban on antipersonnel landmines. In August 2007, Taiwan’s then-President Ma Ying-jeou signed a declaration that supported a complete ban on antipersonnel mines.

In 2006, the Legislative Yuan enacted the Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act.[1] It prohibits the production and trade of antipersonnel mines,[2] set a deadline for clearance of existing minefields (which was achieved in June 2013), and provides for compensation for future victims.[3] However, the law permits possession of a residual stockpile of antipersonnel mines until they are expired and destroyed, and allows for use of the residual stockpile “when it is imperative during war.”[4] The law does not allow for the replacement of expiring antipersonnel mines with new stocks, meaning that once the current stockpile expires, it will not be replaced.

In 2009, a research project commissioned by the Ministry of Justice suggested that the government create another internal law to fully implement the obligations contained in the Mine Ban Treaty.[5] In May 2019, the Legislative Yuan amended the 2006 Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act to strengthen the prohibitions on development, manufacture, deployment, storage, and transfer.[6]

In June 2013, an ICBL delegation and members of ICBL country campaigns in Japan and South Korea were invited to Taiwan for events celebrating the completion of mine clearance under the 2006 Antipersonnel Landmines Regulation Act. During a meeting between the ICBL delegation and then-President Ma Ying-jeou at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, the ICBL Executive Director encouraged Taiwan to fully incorporate the Mine Ban Treaty into domestic law.

Stockpile

As of August 2020, Taiwan possessed a stockpile of 521,957 antipersonnel landmines.[7] However, during 2020 and early 2021, Taiwan commissioned the destruction of 4,601 landmines “of poor quality.”[8] Previously, in June 2013, Vice-Defense Minister Liao Jung-hsing said that Taiwan would not accelerate its stockpile destruction, citing the fact that “big powers like Russia and mainland China have not signed the treaty.”[9] However, the Vice-Defense Minister also stated that since 2007 there had continually been a budgeted destruction of expiring mines. During the period 2017–2019, Taiwan destroyed 210,766 antipersonnel landmines.[10]

The Kinmen Defense Command has acknowledged that antipersonnel mines are stockpiled on the island. However, it noted that as these mines expire, they will be destroyed by a third party; and therefore, once all of the mines expire, Taiwan will no longer have a stockpile. Use of the mines would require authorization of a government minister or the president.[11]