Taiwan is still interested in buying F-35 fighters from the US because the model matches the air force’s requirements, Minster of National Defense Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發) told a legislative committee yesterday.
The F-35B’s short takeoff and vertical-landing capabilities definitely meet the needs of the air force, Yen told lawmakers in his first question-and-answer session as minister during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
However, the Ministry of National Defense has not made an official request to the US to purchase the aircraft and he could not say how many it wants to buy, he said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Yen, a former secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC), reiterated a plan the ministry first announced in late 2011.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of North American Affairs Director-General Remus Chen (陳立國) told a news briefing that the government has made clear its intention to seek weaponry from the US to meet its air defense needs.
“Hopefully, those needs can be fulfilled soon,” he said.
Asked to comment on Chen’s remarks, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) spokeswoman Sonia Urbom said in an e-mail that the US remains fully committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), but cannot comment on pending or potential arms sales.
“In accordance with the TRA, we will continue to make available to Taiwan defense articles and services necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability,” she said. “We continue to review Taiwan’s defensive needs on an ongoing basis and will consult with Congress as required.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was quoted as saying in May last year that her administration had not dismissed the possibility of obtaining F-35 fighters.
“We don’t rule out any items that would be meaningful to our defense and our defense strategy, and the F-35 is one such item,” Tsai told Reuters in an interview.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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