The military yesterday began three days of drills as concerns rose over potential cuts to the defense budget due to legislative wrangling.
The drills began in the north with tank maneuvering at a base in Hsinchu County featuring outmoded CM-11 tanks, which are gradually being replaced by newly purchased M1A2T Abrams from the US.
The replacement marks a huge upgrade despite some complaints over the weight of the new vehicles and their likely effectiveness at preventing a possible Chinese landing.
Photo: CNA
Soldiers arrived on armored personnel carriers, while Apache and Sikorsky S-70 helicopters whirled overhead, providing reconnaissance and covering fire.
With the equipment the military currently operates, a communication officer on the ground can coordinate airborne attacks, Army Captain Chuang Yuan-cheng (莊沅澂) said of the 542 Armored Brigade in Hsinchu County.
Today, the army is to show off its Patriot III anti-missile system aimed at countering one of China’s most potent weapons. Tomorrow, anti-submarine exercises are to be held off the Port of Kaohsiung, considered China’s best conduit for resupplying its troops should it establish a beachhead in the heavily defended region.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, AFP
The annual drills are held in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday to reassure the population of the military’s ability to meet China’s threats and to boost recruitment.
Taiwan has a backlog of orders from the US for about US$20 billion in weapons systems, while it upgrades its F-16 jets and develops its own submarines. It has also extended compulsory military service to one year.
However, the government has warned that new legal amendments being considered could force a 28 percent cut in the defense budget by altering the way funds are distributed between the central and local governments.
Photo: CNA
That in turn could reduce the willingness of the US and its allies such as Japan and the Philippines to assist Taiwan in the event of an armed clash with China, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told legislators last month.
The legislation is being pushed by the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which has joined with the Taiwan People’s Party to oppose the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s legislative agenda.
Taiwan annually spends about 2.4 percent of its GDP, or about US$20 billion, on the military.
Photo: CNA
China has responded furiously to all US arms sales to Taiwan, saying that unification is inevitable and warning that Washington is “playing with fire.”
However, neither military intimidation, economic coercion nor appeals to their common Chinese ancestry seem to be working on Taiwanese, the vast majority of whom favor the current status of de facto independence.
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
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
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS