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.
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
CLAMPING DOWN: At the preliminary stage on Jan. 1 next year, only core personnel of the military, the civil service and public schools would be subject to inspections Regular checks are to be conducted from next year to clamp down on military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers with Chinese citizenship or Chinese household registration, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese who obtain Chinese household registration or a Chinese passport would be deprived of their Taiwanese citizenship and lose their right to work in the military, public service or public schools, it said. To identify and prevent the illegal employment of holders of Chinese ID cards or
RSS