Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Monday told US defense industry officials that under a DPP administration, Taiwan’s indigenous defense industry would expand and deepen.
He said that, as a result of DPP encouragement, there were an unprecedented number of senior executives from Taiwan’s industries — 30 from 19 different companies — attending the 14th annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia.
“They are the team representing a national determination to defend our nation and represent our vision to move our defense forward,” he told the conference.
Wu said the industrialists were from the aviation, shipbuilding and cybersecurity sectors.
He said that some defense items were politically sensitive and difficult for the US to sell and thus, “we would like to have the confidence of producing them in Taiwan with the necessary assistance and support of the US.”
Wu urged Taiwanese companies and the US to discuss in side meetings and “learn how we can find good business opportunities together.”
He said China’s growing military might looms over the Taiwan Strait.
“We do not want to see regional tension evolve into military conflict, we do not want Taiwan to be engulfed in military conflict should it occur and we certainly do not want our vulnerability to attract aggression,” Wu said.
He said Taiwan’s capability or vulnerability deserved a deeper look.
“Even though the cross-strait policies pursued by the current Taiwanese administration are said to have reduced tensions with China, the threat is nonetheless increasing,” Wu said.
He said that with less investment in defense and an unsuccessful attempt to change the recruitment system, Taiwan is more vulnerable than ever.
“The best way for Taiwan to prevent a war from being initiated against it would be for us to acquire credible deterrent capabilities,” Wu said. “We want to strengthen ourselves militarily to maintain cross-strait peace, and if a conflict were unfortunately to take place, we would have the necessary means to survive.”
Wu said that if the DPP returns to power in next year’s Jan. 16 presidential election, it plans to improve the nation’s naval, airborne and cyberdefense capabilities.
If the US will not sell needed weapons, Wu said, “going indigenous is the only meaningful alternative.”
However, Taiwan has an edge in the cyberdomain, which is not being properly and seriously used by the defense establishment.
Wu said that DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had presided over a series of intense discussions aimed at preparing the future of Taiwan’s defense industry.
He said that he was more confident than ever that Taiwan could count on its indigenous industry.
Wu added that he was particularly excited about Taiwan’s potential in cyberdefense.
Senior executives from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro have met with DPP military experts and plan to upgrade some products for military use, Wu said.
Wu said that Taiwanese talent could be relied upon for the nation’s cyberdefense.
‘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
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
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as