The US defense industry believes it is being stopped from helping Taiwan build its own diesel-electric submarines, a former Washington official said on Thursday.
Taipei is now ready to proceed with a domestic submarine program and the US Congress should determine exactly what the official US policy is, said Mark Stokes, executive director of the US-based think tank Project 2049 Institute.
Stokes, who served as senior country director for Taiwan and China in the Pentagon, said Taipei had a real need for the submarines and there was now an opportunity to obtain them.
However, he said there was a “perception” within the US defense industry that “significant elements within the US government” did not want to support Taiwan over the acquisition of submarines.
He said that US defense industry leaders believed that Washington did not want them to offer any technical assistance or to be active in any part of the Taiwan domestic submarine program.
Stokes stressed that he did not “personally believe” that such a ban was in place.
“It would help if there were some public clarification, if there was a statement,” he said.
He said that US Congress should “start asking questions” and find out for sure if there had been some “purposeful discouragement to the US defense industry not to pursue assistance” on the Taiwanese submarine program.
“That would be worthwhile,” Stokes said.
Speaking at a Hudson Institute conference on the current state of US-Taiwan security relations, Stokes said that Taiwan’s request to buy US diesel-electric submarines had been frozen since 2007.
Now that Taiwan was planning to build its own submarines, he said it should be “inconceivable” that Washington would not grant export licenses for the technology needed.
“The US has failed to materially assist Taiwan in its long-standing and legitimate effort to protect itself from the threat of blockade from PRC [People’s Republic of China] submarines and surface ships,” Hudson Institute official and former US deputy undersecretary of the Navy Seth Cropsey said.
American Enterprise Institute director of Japan studies Michael Auslin told the conference that Washington was becoming “risk averse” at the very moment risk was increasing in Asia.
Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Pillsbury said there was a “hidden history” of US-Taiwan relations that was still not known.
Pillsbury, former undersecretary of defense for policy planning under then-US president Ronald Reagan, said Taiwan had asked 12 times to buy F-16C/D jets without success.
“I maintain this is explained by the hidden history and the restraints that are on Taiwan,” he said.
Under secret agreements that were made when the US switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, Pillsbury said that selling short-range weapons systems, such as Apache helicopters and Hellfire missiles, was allowed. However, longer range systems, such as the F-16C/Ds, which could reach China with bombs, were not.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
RSS