The National Security Council (NSC) yesterday attacked a report claiming that the scenario of this year’s military drill would be the government’s response to the assassination of president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
“The report has no basis on truth whatsoever,” the council said in a statement. “We regret that the magazine would write such a groundless report, which showed irresponsible political motives.”
The statement was in response to a report published in the latest issue of Next Magazine that went on sale yesterday.
The report said the annual drill would simulate a scenario in which Taiwan was facing social and political unrest following a decapitation attack launched by China targeting Ma and vice president-elect Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) prior to their inauguration on May 20. Beijing would then follow the attack by launching a military assault on Taiwan, the report said.
Ma spokesman Luo Chih-chiang (羅智強) declined to comment on the allegation, saying details of the drill should be explained by the Presidential Office.
The military exercise, codenamed Yushan, is scheduled to be held between this Monday and April 27.
The council said yesterday that the purpose of the drill was to “find potential problems” to serve as a reference to improve future drills.
This year’s scenario takes place in 2020, at a time when the People’s Liberation Army has deployed an aircraft carrier and stages a full-scale attack on the east coast, the council said, adding that the exercise would consist of three stages.
The first stage will be held from Monday until Wednesday at the political and military command center. Participants will not receive prior notice as to exactly when the exercise will begin.
The simulation will include crisis management following the president’s call for a national security meeting, an address to the nation on TV and radio and an emergency news conference by the premier.
The second stage, held on April 24 and April 25 and again without prior notice, will test security at critical infrastructure in five out of the 40 facilities in Taipei City, Taipei County and Ilan County. The exercise will include Internet safety, coordination between the military, law enforcement and the coast guard, fire protection, maintenance and recovery of key infrastructure.
The final stage, which will begin at 10pm on April 26 and end at 1pm the following day, will focus on crisis management, decision-making and planning, and communication between government agencies.
On April 8, Ma rejected President Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) invitation to attend a military exercise organized by the council next week.
Luo said Ma’s schedule was fully booked for the dates in question and that as such he would not be able to accompany the president. Luo declined to specify what events Ma was scheduled to attend.
It remains the government’s duty and obligation to hold the drill, regardless of Ma’s attendance or not, Luo said.
Asked to comment at a separate setting yesterday, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said she knew nothing about the contents of the exercise.
Lu said she had proposed during a high-level military meeting that the Yushan drill be rescheduled to accommodate Ma. She also asked Ma to reconsider Chen’s invitation to observe the military drill during their last meeting at the Taipei Guest House.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TRAINING: The ministry said 87.5 percent of the apprehended Chinese agents were reported by service members they tried to lure into becoming spies Taiwanese organized crime, illegal money lenders, temples and civic groups are complicit in Beijing’s infiltration of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report yesterday. Retired service members who had been turned to Beijing’s cause mainly relied on those channels to infiltrate the Taiwanese military, according to the report to be submitted to lawmakers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on Chinese espionage in the military. Chinese intelligence typically used blackmail, Internet-based communications, bribery or debts to loan sharks to leverage active service personnel to do its bidding, it said. China’s main goals are to collect intelligence, and develop a
RSS