Defense review talks between Taiwan and the US could be held as soon as November, focusing on views on arms sales and defense strategies that might have changed since the Chinese military drills around Taiwan early this month, senior officials at the Ministry of National Defense have said.
Taiwan and the US regularly discuss those topics through various channels, including at the Monterey Talks in June, but the assessment of the Chinese military threat might have changed since the annual bilateral defense dialogue in California, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The ministry hopes to discuss the issue again in November, they said.
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National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) might attend the review talks, after his deputy attended last year’s edition of the annual event, they said.
The review talks would be held “sometime around November,” as it was last year, the source said.
There have always been differing views on US arms sales to Taiwan, with some calling for the acquisition of larger weapons platforms, the source said.
However, the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) focuses primarily on the domestic development of missiles, a submarine force and missile-bearing speedboats, they said.
The arms packages offered to Taiwan by the administration of US President Joe Biden have primarily focused on boosting Taiwan’s asymmetrical warfare capabilities, a significant departure from the stance of Biden’s predecessor, they said.
Calls for larger weapons platforms have become louder since the Chinese drills, during which its military shot missiles over Taiwan proper, they said.
However, others in Taiwan highlight that it is difficult to predict what a Chinese attack would look like and what weapons would be needed to defend the nation, so the US would at the moment not change the kind of arms it offers, they said.
The ministry expects to acquire packages that include precision munitions for combat jets and equipment to increase military repair stations, they said.
The source also said that the army has voiced dissent over the US’ plans to replace M109A6 Paladins with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
However, obtaining HIMARS is in line with Taiwan’s asymmetrical warfare strategy, the source said.
The US in May informed the ministry that a delivery of 155mm M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers would be delayed due to a “crowded” production line.
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