A prominent US military academic advised Taiwan on Thursday to develop its own submarines instead of seeking to buy diesel-powered submarines offered by US President George W. Bush in 2001.
Bernard Cole, a professor at the National War College in Washing-ton, made his comments to Taiwan reporters after a speech in which he advised the Legislative Yuan to drop its debate on the purchase of three advanced weapons systems offered by the US, and instead pay more attention to the "mundane" military needs that will help deter any Chinese military attack on Taiwan.
"I would encourage Taiwan to begin an indigenous program to begin producing conventional-powered submarines," Cole told the reporters.
"Given the advanced state of Taiwan's electronics industry and its shipbuilding industry, I find it hard to believe that over the course of eight to ten years that Taiwan cannot produce an operational submarine."
"Many elements would have to be imported, such as periscopes and battery technology, but I believe that technology is available on world markets," he said.
In his speech, before a Brookings Institute luncheon arranged by former American Institute in Taiwan chairman Richard Bush on Taiwan's defense posture, Cole argued that "there has been a misfocus on Taiwan's defense efforts, certainly in this country, on the three big items that President Bush allowed for sale in 2001."
"None of these has been purchased and perhaps none of them should be," Cole told an audience that included US and Taiwan officials, think tank scholars and journalists.
Cole's statements appeared to be at odds with the Bush administration, especially the Pentagon, which has strongly pressured Taipei over the years to approve the three items and which has gone as far as warning that overall US-Taiwan relations could hinge on the Legislative Yuan's decisions on the systems.
The three weapons systems are diesel submarines, PC-3 anti-submarine aircraft and PAC III anti-missile batteries, which until recently comprised the so-called special defense budget.
"The defense debate about Taiwan in this country, and I suspect to a good degree in Taiwan, is too easily focused on these special budget items, rather than focusing on increasing the regular defense budget'" said Cole, who recently published a book entitled, Taiwan's Security: History and Prospects.
Many of the military officers he spoke with over the years, Cole said, "understand that very clearly and are frustrated by some of the budget problems they are experiencing."
He said these officers want such "mundane" things as money to buy fuel for ships, funds for more aircraft flying hours or money for ammunition for artillery training.
Afterwards, in a short interview with the Taipei Times, Cole said he was not criticizing the Bush administration.
"I believe that the US defense department has the best interests at heart. I believe they're focused on special items because the President of the United States made them available to Taiwan, and to a large extent they represent the most advanced capabilities in their respective fields," he said.
The US, he added, would also like to see Taiwan increase its overall defense budget to assure that both advanced and mundane items are purchased.
He said he would advise the Legislative Yuan to "insure that the appropriate budget increase occurred in items that contribute to the most immediate military readiness, without a categorical look at the advanced US-offered weapon systems."
If he had to set priorities among the three systems, Cole said, he would place the greatest priority on the PC-3 patrol aircraft, and the least priority on the diesel-powered submarines, because "it's going to be so difficult to get them."
In his speech, Cole also raised doubts about the willingness of the US to come to Taiwan's aid in the event of hostile Chinese action.
In the case of an overt Chinese invasion, he said, "I think any American president would find it very difficult to stand up in front of the cameras and say, `No. Good luck Taiwan. We're not going to help you.'"
But if China took lesser actions, "there is a range of other military options that would make it very difficult for a president to intervene," he said.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to 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), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition