The US might propose military cooperation with Taiwan, a military official said, citing US Vice President Mike Pence’s harsh criticism of China.
In remarks delivered on Thursday at the Hudson Institute on US policy regarding China, Pence criticized Beijing, saying it is threatening stability across the Taiwan Strait and is using economic aggression to extend its global reach.
The official, who declined to be named, said that Pence’s criticism of China was an assurance to US allies in the Western Pacific that Washington would continue to maintain security in the region.
Photo: AP
It is likely that concrete and substantial US action would follow, the official said.
The action is likely to take the form of military exchanges, probably on an unprecedented scale, “exceeding Taiwan’s expectations,” the official said.
US President Donald Trump on Aug. 13 signed the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which contains provisions favorable to Taiwan’s defense.
The legislation says that the US should bolster defense and security cooperation with Taiwan; support the nation’s acquisition of defensive weapons through foreign military sales, direct commercial sales and industrial cooperation; and improve the predictability of arms sales to Taiwan by ensuring timely review of and response to requests for defense articles and services.
The legislation also suggests that the US secretary of defense send a hospital ship to Taiwan as part of the annual Pacific Partnership mission to improve disaster response planning and preparedness.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Sept. 24 said that the US Department of State had approved a proposal to sell US$330 million in arms to Taiwan to upgrade the nation’s defense capabilities.
The sale is to cover standard spare parts, as well as the repair or replacement of spare parts for Republic of China Air Force aircraft, such as its General Dynamics F-16s, Lockheed C-130s, Northrop F-5s, and Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (漢翔航空工業) Indigenous Defense Fighters.
The military official cited CNN reports as saying that the US plans a show of force next month in areas near Chinese-claimed territory in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
If true, such a move would be in line with the intent of Pence’s speech, the official said.
The plans would not only serve as a warning to Beijing, but also as a message that Chinese efforts to prevent the US from aiding its allies in the Western Pacific are doomed to fail, the official said, quoting Pence.
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a