President Tsai Ing-wen, former minister of national defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) and other top officials yesterday in Taipei inaugurated the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research think tank.
Feng is to serve as the institute’s chairman and former Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Lin Cheng-yi (林正義) as its chief executive officer.
The institute has seven research departments and one research center, and employs 64 people.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
It is tasked with administering research programs and international exchange initiatives, and advising the government on national security, military defense policies and regional security, as well as conducting studies on China’s military and political development.
“Taiwan is facing severe challenges in the international arena, and this underscores the necessity for establishing this think tank,” Tsai told the inauguration ceremony.
The president said she has three expectations of the institute: Helping the government stay on top of national security and strategic developments, recruiting and cultivating talent for research in these fields, and serving as a platform for interaction and collaboration with the outside world.
The institute plans to organize international conferences, and publish regular government reports and research papers, she said.
“We will improve the channels for dialogue with other nations in the region and set up a platform for mutual interaction. By enhancing mutual trust on regional security and strategic issues, we can create more possibilities for collaboration with other nations,” Tsai said.
Feng agreed, saying the institute would be an important mechanism for international collaboration and dialogue.
The institute is to have an annual budget of NT$125 million (US$4.2 million) and is to be based at the former headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense on Boai Road and Gueiyang Street near the Presidential Office Building.
The institute has hired 17 full-time researchers, all with doctorates, along with 17 research assistants, all of whom have international study and work experience, Lin said.
They are proficient in English and other regional languages, including Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian, he said, adding that their security and defense research focus on the nations where these languages are spoken.
The institute is under the auspices of the government and the Legislative Yuan, and is mandated to publish national reports to present to officials and legislators, which includes publications on annual assessments of Taiwan’s national security, advanced military defense technologies and research into the development of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Lin said.
The diplomatic corps of Taiwan’s allies, and representatives of other nations with trade offices and consulates in Taipei also attended the ceremony, including several officials from the American Institute in Taiwan.
Former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage, along with executives from prominent security think tanks, including the US’ Center for Strategic and International Studies and the UK’s Royal United Service Institute, also sent pre-recorded messages of congratulations.
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