Three former US military and political leaders yesterday recommended that Taiwan reasonably increase its defense budget, and the US military increase its training in Taiwan and forces in the Indo-Pacific region to deter Chinese aggression.
The US House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing titled “Deterrence Amid Rising Tensions: Preventing CCP Aggression on Taiwan,” inviting retired US army general Charles Flynn, former deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell and retired US navy rear admiral Mark Montgomery to give testimonies.
Montgomery said that the US joint training mission in Taiwan should be expanded from 500 to 1,000 personnel, and advocated that Taiwan’s defense budget should reach 5 percent of GDP by 2028.
Photo: CNA
The US has never formally announced the number of troops it has stationed in Taiwan.
The US Congress passed the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act in 2023, instructing the executive branch to train Taiwanese troops, but the Ministry of National Defense has been slow to make progress, Montgomery said.
Taiwan still needs the investment and participation of the US military to establish an effective deterrence force with appropriate combat capabilities, he said.
Flynn also emphasized the importance of US military training.
The US could provide Taiwan with 400 Harpoon missile systems, but it is useless if Taiwan does not have teams that know how to operate, deploy and manage these systems, Flynn said.
US military training would help Taiwanese troops understand how to implement defense in depth, which is “the key value we bring as a training unit,” he said.
President William Lai (賴清德) announced a special budget in February, with the goal of increasing defense spending to at least 3 percent of GDP.
US Representative Dusty Johnson said that there is no consensus within Taiwan’s divided government to reach this 3 percent goal, questioning whether Montgomery’s proposed 5 percent goal is feasible.
Montgomery said that by spending 5 percent of GDP on the military, Taiwan would be able to purchase all the systems it needs and establish real combat readiness.
Historically for democratic countries, 5 percent is an achievable standard, he said.
Having a military budget equal to 10 percent of GDP is unrealistic for Taiwan, as this would mean purchasing US$40 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) equipment from the US every year, he said.
“I believe everyone is well aware that we currently cannot even provide US$350 million of FMF annually,” Montgomery said.
Unless the Foreign Military Sales system is completely transformed and its efficiency improved by 1,000 percent, Taiwan’s military budget would not be able to reach 10 percent of its GDP, he said.
Campbell, who left office in January, said that while it is crucial to focus on what Taiwan needs to do and how to support Taiwan, the US must continue to strengthen its own capabilities and shift more forces to the Indo-Pacific region.
“We are the ultimate backing force,” Campbell said.
It is in US interests to continue supporting Taiwan, Campbell said, highlighting the achievements Taiwan has made over the past four years in technology, politics and strategy with US backing.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS