Taiwan is most likely to be limited to observer status if the US invites it to the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises this year, a report published on Wednesday by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research said.
Speculation has been rife over Taiwan’s participation since US President Joe Biden signed the fiscal 2022 US National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a “Sense of Congress” resolution recommending that Taiwan be involved in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise this year.
However, “Sense of Congress” resolutions are not legally binding, and the Biden administration has not said that Taiwan would for the first time be invited to the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise.
Photo: Reuters
In the think tank report, resident research officer Liu Ying-chieh (劉穎傑) said that Taiwan’s participation in RIMPAC would most likely be limited to sending observers.
Washington’s “one China” policy would prevent it from inviting Taiwan to join in the war games, send small units or coordinate with other participants in real time from a different location, Liu said.
The sensitive nature of such types of participation would likely spark protest from Beijing, as the US’ “one China” policy acknowledges that the People’s Republic of China represents China and Taiwan’s status has yet to be settled, Liu added.
However, even sending observers would benefit Taiwan, as it could learn about warfare concepts, weapons platforms, coordinated operations and multinational coalitions, Liu said.
Understanding the preparations needed to participate in an international joint military exercise is extremely important, Liu added.
The option of sending Ministry of National Defense observers to board warships and gain an understanding of the exercise process and content would help the military design battlefield scenarios for its Han Kuang military exercises, he said.
If Taiwan’s role went beyond observing, such as sending small units or coordinating from a different location, the military could focus on the division and integration of tasks, coordination between the units and the effective execution of orders, he said.
Participating in the exercises would give Taiwan’s military leaders the opportunity to see how they make decisions under pressure and reveal their blind spots, he said.
RIMPAC, hosted every two years near Hawaii by the US Pacific Fleet, has never invited Taiwan to participate.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
RSS