National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) yesterday revealed that Taiwan has donated more than US$100 million to the international community for anti-terrorist actions over the past year.
"Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Taiwan has donated resources and money totalling over US$100 million to help the United States wipe out terrorist organizations and ensure regional security," Chiou said.
"But now we have to further review the changes of the US' global strategy and its impact on the international strategic situation.
"More importantly, we need to consider what Taiwan will do for the nation and global development, and how we should apply our efforts," Chiou said.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is scheduled to chair his second "Tashee meeting" on Sept. 8, which will gather high-ranking policymakers from the government and elites from the DPP to discuss Taiwan's overall strategy for national security, democracy and anti-terrorism efforts.
Chiou yesterday introduced the main theme of the upcoming meeting by saying that the NSC hopes to enhance the understanding of top-ranking officials and party talents on how international concerns have been affected by the US' "Homeland Security" strategy and to discuss how Taiwan should respond.
"After Sept. 11, the US adjusted its strategic structure. Before it had emphasized security measures outside of the country, such as the garrisoning of the sixth fleet in the Mediterranean and the seventh fleet in the Western Pacific. Now it is paying more attention to maintaining homeland security," Chiou said.
"Due to the changes in the US, the international community must adjust to its strategy," he said.
He added that whether the US government will attack Iraq will be considered and reviewed when formulating Taiwan's policy on the long-term task of combatting terrorism.
"Is it [an attack on Iraq] a part of anti-terrorist action? Will there be any other military attacks in the near future?" Chiou asked. "Taiwan must formulate its own policy to cope with these variables."
Chiou stressed that the US$100 million Taiwan donated has been put to practical use, adding that the government should discuss what Taiwan can do and more importantly how to get the most out of the country's efforts.
Sources from the NSC earlier this year told the Taipei Times that under President Chen's authorization last December, the NSC executed a special project for "Afghanistan aid action," which allowed Taiwan to plan donations of at least NT$1 billion in aid over a period of two years, including cash, materials and vehicles.
The special project is Taiwan's second largest international aid project in recent years.
The other large project was an aid project for Kosovo in 1999 under former president Lee Teng-hui (
"This project is a part of an agreement which was reached between Taiwan and its allies, including the US, in a government-to-government manner and Taiwan has signed agreements with several international NGOs," sources from the NSC said.
RSS