Taiwan’s national defense is to be built on a dual-development system that focuses on both indigenous system development and foreign arms sales, Deputy Minister of National Defense Chang Guan-chung (張冠群) said on Monday.
“We are standing at a time when Taiwan is marching towards self-reliant defense,” Chang said in a speech addressing the opening ceremony of the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Maryland.
However, he said that the strategy would not exclude the participation of foreign suppliers.
“Our focus in pushing self-reliant defense over the past two years is the development of main systems. That being said, we still seek the participation of both domestic and foreign companies in developing sub-systems and critical modules through market mechanisms,” he said. “Our demand for cooperation with international companies never declined. Instead, it has become more diverse and provides more opportunities.”
Explaining the need for an indigenous weapons program, Chang said Taiwan has faced “painful lessons” in foreign military acquisitions because of diplomatic obstacles.
“We therefore understand one thing: that is, to forge strength for a sustainable and reliable self-reliant defense that meets our requirements is fundamental to our defense policy,” he said.
Taiwan’s military investment should avoid an arms race, but take advantage of “the unique battlefield in the Taiwan Strait” to “create weapon systems we actually need with asymmetric thinking,” he said.
In addition, Taiwan would emphasize how to integrate its defense development with its technology and industrial strengths, and bolster the use of technology to maximize the cost-effectiveness of the military investments, he added.
“To reach the goal, we will use a certain amount of our domestic acquisition budget in scientific research to elevate our technology level and human resources quality,” Chang said. “By making defense investment and national power mutually supportive, our self-reliant defense will be sustainable.”
Taiwan is looking forward to active participation by US industry in its self-reliant defense development and such participation would depend on policy support from the US government, he said.
“We welcome US industry to join us, and together make contributions for [the] peace and stability of [the] Taiwan Strait,” Chang said.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Chang was asked to comment on a prediction by US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers on Sunday that Washington would approve another round of arms sales to Taiwan by the end of the year, following a US$330 million deal last month.
Chang sidestepped the question, saying the conference was focused on cooperation between the two sides’ defense industries and did not touch on arms sales.
National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General York Chen (陳文政) said the US is Taiwan’s first choice as a partner in its defense industry development and such cooperation could enable Taiwan to enter the US’ global supply chain.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS