Retired army major general Ni Pang-chen (倪邦臣) and retired navy captain Cheng Kuo-feng (程國峰) are to depart for the US today to establish a mission for the Veterans Affairs Council (VAC) that would oversee veterans’ affairs exchanges between the two countries.
Ni has experience abroad, and is proficient in Spanish and English, the council said, adding that Cheng is also proficient in English, with a well-rounded military service in the navy.
Both have passed the American Institute in Taiwan’s interview as well as English proficiency tests, it added.
Photo: CNA
VAC Minister Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) has said that the short-term goal of the mission would be to promote people-to-people diplomacy, while the mid-term goal would be to improve substantial exchanges between the veterans’ associations in Taiwan and the US.
The long-term goal would be to establish official communication with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, with the expectation that the mission would serve as a channel for track two diplomacy, he said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Nov. 26 announced that the council would establish a mission in the US.
‘COOPERATION’
“Veterans’ affairs is one area in which Taiwan and the US have enjoyed particularly close cooperation over the past few years,” she said at the time, adding that the official base in Washington would “help us better coordinate and expand their exchanges in health insurance, quality healthcare, employment assistance and long-term care for veterans.”
Lee Che-chuan (李哲全), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, has said that as the council has a relatively low profile, it could, through the mission, assist from the sidelines in reforming the nation’s reserve forces.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS