President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday defended developments in cross-strait relations as positive for foreign relations, and said the government will consider more arms procurements from the US to strengthen national defenses and maintain cross-strait peace.
In a meeting with US Senator Lisa Murkowski in the Presidential Office, Ma said developments in cross-strait relations do not conflict with US-Taiwan relations and promised to continue to promote peace across the Taiwan Strait.
“The government will improve relations with mainland China and expand cross-strait exchanges. We believe that peace across the Taiwan Strait will be the first line of defense in the national security of the Republic of China,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Including arms sale of US$12.5 billion less than three years into his presidency, the US government has provided US$18.3 billion of weapons to Taiwan, Ma said.
The US government has promised to deliver arms packages that include 30 AH-64E Apache helicopters this year, 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters next year and PAC-3 air defense units in 2015.
Ma thanked Murkowski for pressing the US government to authorize the long-stalled sale of F-16C/D aircraft to Taipei, and said the government will not rule out the possibility of pursuing more arms deals with the US in the future.
He also discussed the dispute over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), which are claimed by Taiwan, Japan and China and referred to as the Senkaku Islands in Japan.
Ma reiterated that the government continues to view the islands an integral part of Taiwan’s territory.
The government expects the involved parties to reduce tensions by negotiation and discuss jointly developing the resources in the area, while putting aside differences over sovereignty.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
1.4nm WAFERS: While TSMC is gearing up to expand its overseas production, it would also continue to invest in Taiwan, company chairman and CEO C.C. Wei said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has applied for permission to construct a new plant in the Central Taiwan Science Park (中部科學園區), which it would use for the production of new high-speed wafers, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council, which supervises three major science parks in Taiwan, confirmed that the Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau had received an application on Friday from TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, to commence work on the new A14 fab. A14 technology, a 1.4 nanometer (nm) process, is designed to drive artificial intelligence transformation by enabling faster computing and greater power
RSS