In light of the threat posed by China, former minister of national defense Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) yesterday called for an increase in military spending from 2 percent to 3 percent of GDP and an overhaul of the plan to transition the military into all voluntary force.
Taiwan should increase military spending and develop its defense industries in response to increased Chinese military activities around Taiwan, Tsai said during a defense and aviation forum in Taichung that was also attended by Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) chairman Anson Liao (廖榮鑫), Taichung Deputy Mayor Chang Kuang-yao (張光瑤) and Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers.
China’s annual military spending has been growing by 8.5 percent annually, and is 14 times higher than Taiwan’s, so the Ministry of National Defense needs to increase its spending from 2 percent of GDP to 3 percent, Tsai said.
Taiwan also needs to develop its own aircraft, vessels and defensive weapons to ensure defensive self-sufficiency, he said.
He also urged the US and Japan to build a peace maintenance mechanism with Taiwan to defend the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the East China Sea, following the increase in passages of Chinese military aircraft and an aircraft carrier group around Taiwan.
“The mechanism is more important than arms sales to Taiwan. Taiwan has bought armaments and weapons from the US and France over the past 20 years, but it is hardly possible that US would approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Taiwan. In light of this, it is more important to develop the peace maintenance mechanism,” Tsai said.
He also called for the meaningful implementation of the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, which requires the US secretary of defense to submit to the US Congress an assessment on naval port of call exchanges between Taiwan and the US.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) should consider reinstating conscription to ensure the supply of soldiers and public readiness against Chinese threat, he said.
Speaking at the forum, Liao reaffirmed AIDC’s goal to develop locally made jet trainers as part of the government’s aim to build a national defense industry.
The company is scheduled to begin assembling the first “Blue Magpie” prototype on June 1, he said.
Completion of the Blue Magpie would make Taiwan one of the only four nations capable of manufacturing jet trainers besides the US, Italy and South Korea, he said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS