Taiwan has to demonstrate that it is determined to defend itself to the new US administration, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said today when asked about a potential defense budget cut.
When asked whether a three-percent budget cut being proposed by the Taiwan People’s Party would convey a wrong message to Taiwan’s allies, Koo said it would affect the military’s operation and investment projects.
The ministry hopes its NT$476 billion (US$14.46 billion) budget could be passed in its entirety in order to signify to the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump that Taiwan is determined to defend itself, he said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-te, Taipei Times
Regarding the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) proposal to suspend NT$1.8 billion of the ministry’s NT$2 billion budget for the indigenous defense submarine program, Koo said he had “made a promise” that the ministry would only use the budget after the Hai Kun (海鯤), or Narwhal, passes the sea acceptance test which is expected to be held in April, so the ministry does not want the budget to be frozen or slashed.
Speaking about a recent incident in which a Chinese-linked ship was suspected of damaging one of Taiwan’s undersea cables, Koo said Taiwan will dispatch its navy if necessary to help the coast guard respond to any suspicious activity near undersea communication cables.
The authorities said a ship owned by a Hong Kong company but registered in both Cameroon and Tanzania damaged a cable to the north of the island earlier this month, although it says it has not been able to verify the ship's intentions and was unable to board it due to bad weather.
The ship's owner has denied involvement, and China's government has said Taiwan was making up accusations before the facts were clear.
The incident has particularly alarmed Taiwan given it has repeatedly complained about "grey-zone" Chinese activities around it, which are intended to pressure Taiwan without direct confrontation such as balloon overflights and sand dredging.
Speaking to reporters at parliament, Koo said the armed forces would closely coordinate with the coast guard and help monitor areas where sea cables are located.
"Once something happens, the coast guard will go out first, and if needed the navy will immediately cooperate if a response is required," he added.
Also speaking to the media at parliament, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said the government has already activated a mechanism with "international friends" to exchange information about Chinese "grey-zone" maritime activities, though he did not provide details.
Taiwan's focus will be on ships carrying flags of convenience — those registered in countries other than the one where their actual owner is based in — and how China might be using them in the waters around Taiwan, Tsai said.
The authorities have pointed to similarities between what it experienced and damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Last week, the government said Chinese ships flying flags of convenience have "the mark of evil about them."
‘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
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
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