The government should prioritize use of its fiscal 2023 national defense budget — estimated at NT$586.3 billion (US$18.98 billion) — on building the military’s asymmetric combat capabilities and procuring more and better equipment, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus said yesterday.
Taiwan’s standing army is only one-10th the size of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and it is urgent that the military improve its asymmetric warfare capability, TPP caucus convener Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei.
Despite racking up NT$1.7 trillion in expenditures for purchasing weapons, more than 70 percent of the military’s equipment is antiquated, he said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The TPP has been vocal in its criticism of the military’s combat armor, saying the military claimed that its “bulletproof” vest could withstand a 7.62mm bullet, but it proved ineffective against a locally made 5.56mm armor-piercing round.
That means it would not be able to withstand Chinese guns, which use 5.8mm rounds, it said.
The Ministry of National Defense should review its arms purchases and see if they align with the military’s aims, Chiu said.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office via CNA
The government should also improve its indigenous armament program to reduce pressure on weapons and equipment procurement, he said.
The military should endeavor to upgrade soldiers’ equipment and provide troops the equivalent of the US’ improved first aid kits, which the US Army has proven to reduce infantry death rates by 15 to 20 percent, Chiu added.
The annual increase in defense spending has not resulted in a corresponding increase in the military’s capabilities, TPP Legislator Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿) said, adding that the government is still unable to contest China’s “gray zone” tactics.
Jang cited the absence of drone-jamming equipment for garrisons on outlying islands as an example of the government’s failure to deal with Chinese incursions into the nation’s air defense identification zone in the past few years.
There is no justification to increase military spending if there are no visible benefits or results, he said.
Jang also cited the downgrading of the Jhenhai program (震海) next year to further highlight the ministry’s lack of strategic vision in its arms purchases.
“A NT$24.5 billion program, altered on a whim,” he added.
The ministry must demonstrate fiscal responsibility and use limited resources for maximum results, Jang said, adding that it must be transparent and show the public that their tax money is going to good use.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese