Minister of National Defense Wu Shih-wen (
Wu's visit did not appear on his official itinerary for this month, and is believed to be connected to China's reported plan to enhance military ties with Singapore by providing training grounds on Hainan Island to Singaporean troops.
The visit was made between Jan. 1 and Jan. 8.
The Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Wu traveled to Singapore, but declined to comment on the motives behind the trip.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Taipei Times that Taiwan does not wish to break off military cooperation with Singapore, as it still serves the interests of Taiwan.
"Recent reports about China offering Singapore the use of certain military sites on Hainan Island as the training grounds for its troops might have something to do with Wu's sudden visit to the city state," the official said.
"But it is not likely that Singapore will accept the offer. Several years ago Singapore refused a better offer from China -- a training base in central China which is one-quarter the size of Taiwan," he said.
"Singapore did not accept the offer because China did not agree to provide training assistance to its troops," he said.
"We do not need to make a fuss about Singapore's possible enhancement of military ties with China since it is an inevitable development. Despite that fact, we still do not wish to stop Singaporean troops coming to Taiwan for training," he said.
"We know Singapore has been playing a `dual-hand' role in its engagement with China and Taiwan. They want to get the greatest benefit from the two countries without running the risk of losing the friendship of either one," he added.
Ten years ago, when military ties between Taiwan and Singapore were still strong, China began to allow Singaporean troops to train on its territory.
Intelligence information indicates Singaporean troops were sighted at that time in jungle areas bordering China and certain countries in the Indo-China peninsula.
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week. “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday. US Senator Mike Rounds asked Haines about such a potential scenario. He also asked US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse
INSPIRING: Taiwan has been a model in the Asia-Pacific region with its democratic transition, free and fair elections and open society, the vice president-elect said Taiwan can play a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region, vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) told a forum in Taipei yesterday, highlighting the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. “Not only can Taiwan help, but Taiwan can lead ... not only can Taiwan play a leadership role, but Taiwan’s leadership is important to the world,” Hsiao told the annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation think tank. Hsiao thanked Taiwan’s international friends for their long-term support, citing the example of US President Joe Biden last month signing into law a bill to provide aid to Taiwan,
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open. Paparo made the remarks at a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where he took over the command from Admiral John Aquilino. “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and its rapid buildup of forces. We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and
STATE OF THE NATION: The legislature should invite the president to deliver an address every year, the TPP said, adding that Lai should also have to answer legislators’ questions The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday proposed inviting president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to make a historic first state of the nation address at the legislature following his inauguration on May 20. Lai is expected to face many domestic and international challenges, and should clarify his intended policies with the public’s representatives, KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said when making the proposal at a meeting of the legislature’s Procedure Committee. The committee voted to add the item to the agenda for Friday, along with another similar proposal put forward by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The invitation is in line with Article 15-2