Taiwan would like the US' assistance in launching security dialogues with Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan, Deputy Minister of National Defense Ko Cheng-heng (柯承亨) said in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday.
Ko, who led a Taiwanese delegation at the sixth annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference, made the remarks at a press conference before the close of the two-day event.
China is using military intimidation to prevent Taiwan from declaring de jure independence and hindering its efforts to develop a security dialogue with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Ko said.
As a result, Taiwan needs US assistance to open channels for dialogue with other Asia-Pacific countries on defense strategies and military exchanges, Ko told the conference.
Asked whether the US opposition to Taiwan's plan to hold a referendum on its bid to join the United Nations under the name "Taiwan" had affected military exchanges between the two countries, Ko said he had not noticed any changes.
"We share a strong consensus that military exchanges and cooperation should not be affected by political and electoral issues," Ko said, adding that the two countries had multi-layer dialogue channels for defense matters.
What the two sides still lack are high-level direct channels for dialogue on political issues, Ko said.
He said the two sides should establish a hotline for direct high-level communications in the event of an emergency in the Taiwan Strait.
Ko also took the occasion to clarify the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration's defense policy after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Chi (
Denying that the administration had adopted such a strategy, Ko said that the DPP had inherited the KMT administration's defense plan, adding that it had not made any changes to the nation's defense strategy.
"We have consistently upheld a defensive strategy with the establishment of an elite deterrent force as our defense policy," Ko said.
As for the nation's plan to purchase F-16 C/D fighter aircraft from the US, Ko said Washington had not yet reached a decision on the matter.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS