The All-out Defense Mobilization Agency has three overseas visits and conferences planned for this year, one in the US and two in Europe, to learn from their reserve mobilization forces and whole-of-society resilience mechanisms, the Ministry of National Defense said in a report yesterday.
This year’s US trip is to study “mobilization operations,” with meetings planned to discuss reserve mobilization issues in Taiwan and possible reforms to the system, the agency said.
It would observe mobilization training of the US National Guard and other mechanisms, it said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Two visits to Europe would serve as a study of “whole-of-society defense operations,” while also observing mobilization mechanisms, it said.
Following the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine, nations across Europe are continuing to boost whole-of-society defense resilience, conscription and mobilization systems through adjustments and reforms, it said.
Since its establishment in 2022, the agency has worked with the ministry to promote exchanges with friendly nations, sending delegations to countries near Ukraine for field studies, it added.
The agency said that last year it cooperated with agencies to send delegations to Scandinavian countries to participate in hands-on exchanges with local civil defense and security organizations.
The exchanges covered topics such as civil defense training, firefighting and rescue, emergency evacuation, disaster relief, supply stockpiling and food storage, it said.
As those countries do not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan and some delegation members were active-duty military personnel whose identities are sensitive, the visits were not publicized, it said.
The host countries preferred to keep the exchanges private, discreet and confidential, it added.
However, the ministry had earlier sent a separate report to the Legislative Yuan as part of the process to unfreeze portions of its budget.
During a review of the earlier report, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) suggested that the ministry should publicize official visits of the mobilization agency.
The ministry submitted yesterday’s report on its foreign travel expenses, detailing the names, destinations, itineraries and budgets for trips this year.
It is spending NT$4.04 million (US$133,868), about the same as last year, the ministry said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
RSS