Taiwan’s military would continue to conduct exchanges with the US to beef up joint operation capabilities, said the head of Taiwan’s navy, who is visiting the US.
Speaking to Taiwanese reporters on Monday while attending a maritime exhibition in Maryland, Navy Commander Admiral Tang Hua (唐華) said there is always room for further military exchanges and training between Taiwan and the US.
Such exchanges have to continue because times are changing, and the interoperability of the two sides’ forces would change as the two sides’ equipment and personnel evolve, he said.
Photo: CNA
Tang made the remarks when asked about Taiwan-US military cooperation on the sidelines of the Sea-Air-Space conference and exposition he is attending until today.
He is attending the expo with Wei Chung-hsing (魏中興), a defense attache at the Defense Mission in the US.
NATO defines “interoperability” as the ability of allies to act together coherently, effectively and efficiently to achieve tactical, operational and strategic objectives.
Photo: CNA
Specifically, interoperability enables forces, units and/or systems to operate together, allowing them to communicate and to share common doctrine and procedures, along with information about each other’s infrastructure and bases.
The conference in the US is being held by the Navy League of the United States, a national association with nearly 50,000 members who want a strong, credible US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Coast Guard and US Merchant Marine, it says on its Web site.
Meanwhile, Tang declined to answer when asked if he would be meeting with senior US defense officials during his stay.
Taiwan is launching a number of domestic shipbuilding projects and he is at the conference to look for potential cooperation opportunities and partners on these projects, Tang said.
Before attending the Maryland conference, Tang visited Hawaii, home of the US Indo-Pacific Command, for a Pacific Fleet change-of-command ceremony.
Senior Taiwanese defense officials, with the exception of the minister of national defense, regularly visit the US for such conferences.
In related news, Duane Sarmiento, commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), yesterday in Taipei reiterated his group’s support for Taiwan during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Sarmiento, who was elected in July last year to head the Missouri-headquartered VFW, told Tsai that the group planned to once again pass a resolution to call for continued support for Taiwan from the US Congress, the Presidential Office said in a statement.
He also expressed the hope that officials from the Veterans Affairs Council would get the opportunity to visit Washington for exchanges, the statement said.
It is the first time that Sarmiento has visited Taiwan, it said.
Sarmiento was accompanied by Ryan Gallucci, executive director of the VFW’s Washington office, it added.
In her remarks, Tsai thanked the VFW, a nonprofit veterans’ service organization, for its consistent support for Taiwan.
Tsai said that at the VFW’s national convention last year, at which she delivered opening remarks via videoconference, the group passed a resolution calling on the US government to deepen its partnerships with Taipei and assist Taiwan in strengthening its self-defense capabilities.
The solid ties between Taiwan and the US have been forged by friends in various domains, such as the VFW, which has established a “brotherhood alliance” with the Veterans Affairs Council, she said.
The VFW has long wielded significant influence on the US government’s veterans’ policy, Tsai said, adding that the government hoped that by exchanging best practices with the VFW, it could improve the welfare of Taiwan’s veterans and their families.
Tsai last month met a delegation in Taipei led by American Veterans national commander William Clark.
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
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
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
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS