Defending Our Island Home: An Asymmetric Approach to Taiwan’s Defense

Taiwan's Future Hangs in the Balance. Can Asymmetry Tip the Scales?In Defending Our Island Home, Admiral Lee Hsi-min, former Chief of the General Staff of Taiwan, presents a bold and urgent vision for safeguarding Taiwan against the growing threat of Chinese aggression. Drawing on decades of military leadership and strategic insight, Admiral Lee introduces the Overall Defense Concept (ODC)—a transformative approach that prioritizes agility, innovation, and asymmetric warfare over outdated conventional strategies.This abridged and translated edition of Admiral Lee's original Chinese-language book brings his groundbreaking ideas to an American audience, offering policymakers, military leaders, and scholars a rare window into Taiwan's defense thinking. With a foreword by Randall Schriver and an afterword by Michael Mazza, both of the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security, the volume explores how the United States can support Taiwan in building a credible deterrent—one that not only defends the island but helps preserve peace in the Indo-Pacific.If Taiwan falls, the global order could fall with it. This book explains how Taiwan can stand firm—and why it must. Read more