The US should approve another round of arms sales to Taiwan by the end of the year, following a US$330 million deal last month, US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers said.
“It’s reasonable to argue that there will be another congressional notification before the end of this year,” Hammond-Chambers said at a news conference before the opening of the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Annapolis, Maryland, on Sunday.
He declined to speculate on what arms the US would make available, saying only that the value of the package would be significant.
Photo: CNA
On Sept. 24, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a proposed arms sale that included standard spare parts and other maintenance supplies for Taiwan’s F-16s, C-130s, F-5s, Indigenous Defense Fighters and other aircraft.
The deal announced last month was the second of its kind since US President Donald Trump took office after a US$1.4 billion deal in June last year.
Hammond-Chambers said he would like to see the US State Department’s and China’s influence on US arms sales to Taiwan.
The conference, which ends today, is the 17th installment in a series of annual meetings to address the future of US defense cooperation with Taiwan, the procurement process and national defense and security needs.
The discussions this year are focused on Taiwan’s role in the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy, how the nation can increase regional engagement on defense and security issues, and how it can continue to develop its capabilities to meet existing and future defense needs, the council said.
The Taiwanese delegation to the conference is led by Deputy Minister of Defense General Chang Guan-chung (張冠群), who prior to his departure told the Legislative Yuan that the delegation would apprise Washington of the nation’s defense needs at the three-day conference.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS