Vice Minister of Defense Kang Ning-hsiang (
The visit will mark the first time such a top-level Taiwanese defense official has been allowed to make a direct trip to Washington since the late 1970s, when the US severed relations with Taiwan after recognizing China.
Last March, Defense Minister Tang Yiau-ming (
Kang will arrive in Washington today and stay through Sept. 12, when he will fly to Hawaii, home of the US Pacific Command, the officials said on condition of anonymity, refusing to disclose the envoy's exact itinerary.
He will remain in Hawaii though Sept. 14.
The Pentagon refused to disclose who in the department will meet with Kang, but reports have speculated that he will be received here by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.
"We meet from time to time with Taiwan representatives, including representatives of the ministry of defense," one of the officials said.
Kang, who was appointed to his post early this year, does not have a military background and is seen as a possible future candidate for the department's top job.
But he is known as an expert in military matters, who has close contacts with the Taiwanese brass.
The Taipei Times reported last June that the purpose of Kang's then-proposed US trip was "to establish a project management system for the weaponry that the US had agreed to sell to Taiwan."
The US Department of Defense declined any comment. But it notified Congress Wednesday that Taiwan was seeking to buy from the US dozens of amphibious assault vehicles, 182 AIM-9M-1/2 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and 449 AGM-114M3 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles for its AH-1W Super Cobra and OH-58D helicopters.
The US is also considering delivering to Taiwan 120 AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), which have earned high praise from US pilots after the conflicts in Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo.
The missiles have been purchased by Taipei, but US policy requires that they not be released unless there is evidence that China has similar missiles as part of its operational inventory.
A Pentagon report on China's military power, made public in July, concluded that one of the goals of the country's efforts to modernize its armed forces is to make possible a forcible unification with Taiwan.
"Preparing for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait is the primary driver for China's military modernization," the report said.
In response to the Pentagon's announcement, China yesterday warned the US against allowing Kang to visit.
"If the United States allows Kang Ning-hsiang to visit ... it will be a gross interference in China's internal affairs," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan (孔泉) said, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Kong said that a visit by Kang would send "the wrong kind of signal" to those in Taiwan seeking formal independence from China.
"We have consistently opposed any exchanges between the United States and Taiwan of an official nature and have made solemn representations to the United States over the report [of Kang's planned visit]," Kong said.
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
RSS