A US congressional commission on Wednesday recommended that US President Donald Trump’s administration give more support to Taiwan’s efforts to enhance its defense capabilities by adopting such steps as inviting Taiwan to military exercises and increasing high-level exchanges with nation’s military.
In its annual report to the US Congress, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said that Congress should urge the administration to invite Taiwan to participate, at least as an observer, in US-led bilateral and multilateral military and security-related exercises, including the Rim of the Pacific maritime exercise, Red Flag air-to-air combat training exercises and the Cyber Storm cybersecurity exercise.
The commission also recommended that Congress urge the executive branch to reexamine its practices regarding reciprocal visits by senior US and Taiwanese military officers and civilian officials, including Cabinet-level officials and senior US National Security Council officials, as part of an effort to enhance US-Taiwan relations.
In addition, the commission said Congress should ensure relevant US military personnel is sufficiently familiar with Taiwan’s defense situation by allocating funds for US military personnel to take courses at Taiwanese defense-educational institutions and in an unofficial capacity through the American Institute in Taiwan.
Taiwan has embarked on a robust program to enhance its defensive capabilities by investing in the domestic defense industry, procuring US weapons systems and transitioning to an all-volunteer force, the commission said.
However, these efforts face a major challenge from the scope and speed of the modernization of the Chinese military, it added.
Politically, Beijing continues to increase pressure on Taipei in response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) refusal to endorse the so-called “1992 consensus,” the commission said, adding that over the past year, Beijing’s pressure on Taipei over its participation in the international community has also become more pronounced.
The commission was created by the US Congress in 2000 to monitor the impact of China on the US economic and security interests.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Beijing that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 said that he had made up the term in 2000.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS