Former minister of national defense Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) yesterday said a phone call between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US president-elect Donald Trump, and the recent approval of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act by the US House of Representatives, are positive signs for military exchanges and a relationship between the two nations.
Michael Tsai said the two events show that the DPP government’s visit to the US Department of State and members of congress in September, calling for more frequent exchanges between the two nations, received a positive response.
Even though Trump is an “unorthodox” politician, this action will help Taiwan-US military exchanges, he said.
However, Tsai said that arms sales would require cross-agency meetings between the National Security Council, the Ministry of National Defense and the US Department of State.
Past attempts at arms sales “usually failed because the US Department of State had problems with it,” Tsai said.
So the key to possible arms sales would rest on “who the US secretary of state will be,” he said, adding that Taiwan should nevertheless also increase its defense budget.
Asked about Beijing’s possible adverse reactions toward frequent exchanges with the US, the former minister of defense said that “bowing to [China’s demands] more often than not would not result in what we want in return,” so there is no reason for the Tsai government to be “soft” whenever China is involved.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), who used to teach at Soochow University’s Department of Political Science, said the relationship between the two nations has “boundless possibilities,” and it is vital that Taiwan “not impose restrictions on itself.”
“We do not need to be reckless, but we do need to find new ways to change the existing framework,” he said.
Trump in 2011 criticized US President Barack Obama’s administration for delaying the sale of F-16 warplanes to Taiwan, which could mean that he would be tougher on Beijing and more supportive of arms sales to Taiwan, Lo said, adding that with the passage of the defense act, various restrictions on Taiwan-US military exchanges are expected to be lifted.
Trump might adjust his attitude after taking office, but his “first step” was relatively friendly, the lawmaker said.
Trump’s pick for US secretary of defense, James Mattis, is nick-named “Mad Dog” and he did not earn it without a reason, Lo said.
“If Mattis becomes the secretary of defense, it would probably turn the US national security policy back to the traditional course taken by former US president George W. Bush,” he said.
Michael Tsai said that to his knowledge, Mattis is a right-wing, anti-communist retired military official who has criticized Obama’s Middle East policy.
Regardless of who will be the US secretary of defense, the Taiwanese minister of defense should seek to visit the Pentagon, propose the nation’s participation in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise and promote military cooperation between Taiwan, the US and Japan, he said.
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