Security talks between Taiwan and the US this week are to include discussion of military exercises and arms sales, a senior national security official said yesterday.
A delegation led by National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is to participate in the annual Monterey Talks, considered to be the most important strategic collaboration between the two countries.
Although details are not made public as a matter of course, the United Daily News said working-level meetings are to be held from tomorrow to Friday ahead of high-level talks from Monday to Wednesday next week in Washington and Annapolis, Maryland.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The talks, the second held since US President Joe Biden took office last year, are taking place against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine and increased Chinese military pressure on Taiwan.
Channels of communication between Taiwan and the US are clear, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said yesterday when asked about the talks, while declining to comment on any agreements.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) also declined to comment, saying only that the two nations would further deepen their cooperation on an already solid foundation.
Photo: Reuters
A senior national security official said on condition of anonymity yesterday that Washington is expected to focus on upgrades to existing equipment to enhance immediate combat capabilities as a response to uncertainties in the cross-strait situation.
This strategy differs from that of former US president Donald Trump’s administration, whose arms sales to Taiwan focused on new equipment, the official said, adding that cooperation on military exercises is also to be clarified.
Cooperation with the Republic of China Marine Corp would be an important topic, as the US Marine Corp has adjusted its strategy to act as “stand-in forces” for rapid deployment to the first island chain, the official said.
The US Marine Corp in December last year formalized the strategy in A Concept for Stand-In Forces.
Last month, Colonel Stephen Fiscus, assistant chief of staff for force development at US Marine Forces Pacific, said that the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa is focused on the “ability to stand in — by our footprints, our posture, our relationship with partners and allies — to kind of get the enemy in our guard” within their engagement zone, rather than remaining at a distance.
US military officials are emphasizing cooperation with allies, the official said, adding that shifting US priorities are in part due to heightened cross-strait tensions.
The US considers any Chinese military action in the first island chain to fall within its “weapons engagement zone,” they said.
The US Indo-Pacific Command’s engagement is “closer than people think,” with interactions shifting from “transactional” to “collaborative,” the official said.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS