I agree with your editorial ("Arms bill is Ma's next test," Sept. 6, page 8). Because politicians in Taiwan will be busy campaigning for various elections over the next 18 months, the new legislative session that begins on Sept. 19 is key to the passage of the long delayed special arms procurement bill.
According to an analysis by the US Congress, the main reason for China's considerable expansion of its armaments in the past 18 years is due to its aim to invade Taiwan. The Pentagon has also said that China's efforts to increase its ballistic missile strength and modernize its conventional forces are largely aimed at taking Taiwan.
China last year spent US$30.2 billion on its military. Based on the draft budget proposed by the Chinese State Council this year, 283.8 billion yuan (US$35 billion) was earmarked for defense expenditures, up 14.7 percent from last year's budget.
A report presented by the Pentagon in July said that China's defense spending was two to three times greater than acknowledged by Beijing or up to US$90 billion last year. Such spending would make China's defense expenditures the largest in Asia and the third-largest in the world after those of the US and Russia.
Although Taiwan insists on a road of peaceful development and therefore has no desire to expand our military powers, we need to appropriately increase funds to build the necessary armaments and raise our defense and combat capabilities.
We should, at the very least, show our determination to defend our country in the event of a cross-strait war and protect our core value, democracy, from being destroyed by the Chinese Communists.
Dai Kaifeng
Taichung
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.