Senior Ministry of National Defense officials and other experts said enhanced cooperation arising from the formation of military “sister units” between Taiwan and the US could help counter a possible marine blockade and attack by China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Taiwan’s Aviation Special Forces 601st Brigade, based in Taoyuan, has formed a sister-unit relationship with the Hawaii-based US Army 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, according to a report by the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times).
The 25th is a unit of the US 25th Infantry Division of the US Pacific Command, headquartered in Hawaii for military operations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Photo courtesy of the Army Command Headquarters
The Psychological Warfare Battalion Headquarters of the ministry’s Political Warfare Brigade has also formed a sister-unit relationship with the US 7th Psychological Operations Group, which is also part of the US Pacific Command, the report said.
A senior military official was quoted in the report as saying that the US initiated the two military cooperation programs.
The arrangement was made partially because Taiwan’s 601st Brigade was modeled on US Army combat aviation units, using Apache AH-64 attack helicopters, OH-58D Kiowa reconnaissance helicopters and Black Hawk UH-60 utility helicopters, the report said.
Ministry Administrative Deputy Minister Lieutenant General Wang Shin-lung (王信龍) on Wednesday confirmed the development when he responded to questions at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee at the legislature in Taipei.
Forming sister units has both symbolic and practical meaning, Wang said.
He did not provide details on the scope of the collaboration.
Ministry spokesperson Major General David Lo (羅紹和) also confirmed the developments, saying: “The defense ministry welcomes the arrangement, since these exchanges can boost the capability of our armed forces.”
He also declined to elaborate on details of the collaborations.
DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) and defense experts said the development communicated a clear political message of an improving relationship between Taiwan and the US, while warning China against any military intentions in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Although the Ministry of National Defense would talk only about the ‘military exchange’ aspect, it is in effect the US’ way of including Taiwan in its military alliance in the region,” Tsai said yesterday. “We see that the US is implementing its strategy with a pivot toward the Asia-Pacific region and US forces are returning to this part of the world in a big way. So this is a very crucial time and Taiwanese must seize this opportunity to enter into a military alliance with US.”
Tsai said it also shows that Washington understands Taiwan’s important and strategic position in the face of China’s growing military strength and potential conflicts over disputed territorial claims.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RSS