Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (高英茂) said yesterday it is almost impossible for Taiwan to send troops to Iraq because the deployment would unavoidably touch on sensitive international issues and involve the UN.
William Triplett's article "Send in the (Taiwan) Marines" in the US magazine Human Events triggered heated discussions in the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee, where legislators expressed diverse opinions on the idea of being militarily engaged in Iraq.
On May 20, two pro-Taiwan US House members introduced a resolution calling on US President George W. Bush to ask Taiwan to deploy marines to Iraq.
Kau said during the committee's question-and-answer session that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held a meeting on May 3 to discuss Triplett's proposal.
The meeting concluded it is impossible to carry out the proposal, Kau said.
Participants in the meeting, which was hosted by MOFA's Research and Planning Board, included retired Admiral Nelson Ku (
Kau said the meeting was a routine one to review international news. As Triplett's article was published on April 27, it was natural to include it in the review, he said.
"It will take a long time for the [US] resolution to be passed," said Kau, adding that some officials and media outlets have overreacted to the proposal.
Taiwan has a history of offering humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and Iraq, but whether it should expand its involvement depends on developments in these areas, Kau said.
"We are not doing everything the US bids us to do," Kau said.
Kau said the ministry did not participate in drafting the resolution put forth by Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher, co-chairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and Republican Representative Jim Ryun, also a member of the Taiwan Caucus.
The US representatives did not inform the ministry of the resolution ahead of introducing it, nor did they have Taiwanese and US officials discuss any deployment, Kau said.
PFP Legislator Tsai Chung-han (
However, DPP Legislator Trong Tsai (
Recalling the US dispatching aircraft carriers to protect Taiwan amid high cross-strait tensions, Trong Tsai said: "Without US help, Taiwan would have been in China's grasp long ago."
"Doing so will benefit Taiwan in the long run," he said, adding that sending marines to Iraq would mark the start of another phase of Taiwan-US military cooperation.
Also See Story:
Rumors surround `troops to Iraq' plan
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS