The commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral William Fallon, told US congress members that he "fully supports" US policy regarding China and Taiwan, and that the US government stands ready to fulfill President George W. Bush's 2001 arms sales commitment to Taiwan, in all its elements.
In reply to an Oct. 26 congressional letter concerning the acquisition of diesel-electric submarines by Taiwan, Fallon said that he is "fully committed to our obligation to provide Taiwan with the necessary capabilities for its self-defense."
But he added that "while it is my sincere hope that Taipei and Beijing resolve their differences peacefully, I am deeply concerned about long-term peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."
"Militarily, we seek to deter China from any use of force against Taiwan. That said, in fulfilling this commitment, we face some significant challenges, " which include "divergent trends in military capabilities between the People's Republic of China [PRC] and Taiwan," he said.
Fallon made the statements in a letter to the congress members on Nov. 8, to address their concerns about news reports that suggest the US Pacific Command has told Taiwanese officials that it should reconsider its purchase of the eight diesel-electric submarines.
"Any such guidance or suggestion ... might also further complicate efforts by security-minded [Taiwanese] officials and lawmakers to help pass in the Legislative Yuan a special defense budget for critical defensive weapon systems," the congress members said.
"Given US commitments around the world, now more than ever, it is imperative that Taiwan maintain a credible defense," Fallon wrote, adding that the most useful thing Taiwan could do to enhance its military deterrence of a PRC attack would be to "increase its own defense capabilities and readiness."
Regarding the sale of the submarines, US Pacific Command personnel "have not attempted to discourage this purchase," he said.
"However, we have strongly and consistently encouraged them to acquire capabilities that would have an immediate impact in their defense. While submarines would provide Taiwan with significant capabilities, a lengthy period of time would be needed to fulfill this long-term acquisition program," he said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS