The military would be ordered to exercise the right of self-defense if the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attacks Taiwan or its outlying islands, or enters without permission within 12 nautical miles (22.2km) of its territorial airspace and waters, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told lawmakers yesterday.
Koo, who was head of the National Security Council under former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), gave briefings to lawmakers at the meeting of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee for the first time after being sworn in on May 20.
He is the nation’s seventh defense minister without a military background.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
During the question-and-answer session, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Huang Jen (黃仁) and Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) inquired about the ministry’s definitions of “first strike” and the right of defense.
Koo said that the military would be ordered to exercise the right of defense if the PLA launches a first strike against Taiwan or its outlying islands, or its facilities, aircraft and sea vessels in operation.
“The right of self-defense would also be invoked if any Chinese aircraft enters within 12 nautical miles of our territorial airspace and waters, and the military should defend and respond in proportion to the size of the attack,” Koo said.
Wang also asked how the military obtained information about China’s “Joint Sword-2024A” military exercise on May 23 and 24, and whether its assessment showed that more military exercises are expected in the second half of the year.
Koo said he cannot say how the military secured information about the exercise, but it forms assessments based on various signs.
“Our military has always been able to obtain the updated status of the PLA, but there is no telling whether they would hold another exercise. We will closely monitor the situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Koo said that the ministry has lifted travel restrictions imposed on active military personnel.
Although military personnel were not banned from traveling overseas, they were required to join group tours to ensure their safety and prevent them leaking confidential national security information.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Facebook wrote that such travel restrictions are meaningless as there is no mechanism to verify whether military personnel would only join group tours.
More than 180,000 military personnel in the past few decades were subject to the restriction, including doctors and nurses in military hospitals or faculty members and instructors in military academies or colleges who do not teach subjects related to national intelligence, Hung said.
Based on the revised regulations announced by the ministry on Wednesday, military personnel are allowed to travel independently as long as they provide a detailed itinerary, including flights and accommodation.
They must present documents proving that they had traveled overseas when they return, such as a photocopy of their passports with arrival and departure stamps, boarding passes or documents provided by hotels.
If military personnel join group tours, they must present travel itineraries and a copy of their travel service contract, the regulations say.
Koo also said that military personnel with intelligence clearing would be regulated based on the level of confidential information to which they have access, rather than on their rank.
The policy is to be changed after consulting with the US military system, he said.
In addition, the ministry has relaxed a policy that bans chiefs of military units and their deputies from leaving their barracks at the same time, Koo said.
“The requirement was previously set because of frequent harassment from Chinese military aircraft,” Koo said.
“However, the military has a well-established chain of command and accumulated experiences. Following detailed discussions about the issue, we have decided to return to the normal division of labor between unit chiefs and deputies so military personnel at all levels can take care of their families as well,” he said.
Food stipends for military personnel of all levels would increase, he added.
LANDMARK: Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two would deepen bilateral ties President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday pledged continued support for Haiti, particularly in food aid and healthcare, as the Caribbean nation faces ongoing social and economic challenges. Speaking at a meeting with Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, Lai said Taiwan would step up bilateral cooperation to help improve Haiti’s social infrastructure. Taiwan would continue supporting Haiti through initiatives aimed at improving healthcare, food security and overall development, he said. Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two nations would continue to support each other and deepen bilateral
MONTHS OF WORK: The core mission of Taiwan’s negotiators is to safeguard the national interest, public health and food security, President William Lai said Taiwan is still hoping to reach a deal with the US in ongoing tariff talks after it was not among the first batch of 14 nations to receive tariff notification letters. The US issued its first batch of tariff notification letters on Monday, but Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) yesterday confirmed that Taiwan has yet to receive one. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) and Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), who lead the Office of Trade Negotiations, are in the US negotiating the tariff issue, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US in early April announced sweeping tariffs on imported goods, including
‘A SERIOUS THREAT’: Japan has expressed grave concern over the Strait’s security over the years, which demonstrated Tokyo’s firm support for peace in the area, an official said China’s military drills around Taiwan are “incompatible” with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (王毅) on Thursday. “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is important for the international community, including Japan,” Iwaya told Wang during a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Kuala Lumpur. “China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan are incompatible with this,” a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday cited Iwaya as saying. The Foreign Ministers’ Meetings are a series of diplomatic
The New York Yankees are to host Taiwanese Heritage Day for the first time this year, the event’s organizer announced on Monday. The annual event, which has been held nearly every year since 2005, has often been hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field, but this year it would be hosted by the New York Yankees on Sept. 10 at Yankee Stadium, organizer ROF International Sport Marketing wrote on social media. The event, which is being co-organized by the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA), is one of many cultural events hosted by the Yankees, the announcement said,
RSS