Producing defense equipment in Taiwan would counter the “red” supply chain and secure defense industries in both Taiwan and the US, Deputy Defense Minister of Armaments Chung Shu-ming (鍾樹明) said yesterday at a conference in the US, making the case for deeper cooperation between the two nation’s defense industries.
The 24th US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference is running from Sunday to today in Ellicott, Maryland.
Chung spoke at the conference yesterday, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Photo: CNA
Chung called for the US to assist Taiwan in integrating its defense and information systems under its new “T-Dome” initiative, a large-scale project that would establish a comprehensive protection network capable of intercepting Chinese missiles.
Currently, the Ministry of National Defense is studying how to integrate Taiwan’s existing air defense, communications and information management systems, according to Chung.
Taiwan hopes that the US would assist with that effort to enhance overall defense coordination, he told reporters yesterday.
Chung also called for stronger links in the US-Taiwan defense industry supply chain and to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan bears the brunt of China’s growing aggression and military pressure as Beijing seeks to expand its regional influence, Chung said.
Chung compared China to a spear trying to break through the Pacific island chains and expand its maritime power, while the US, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Australia form a shield to defend regional stability.
Taiwan is at the contact point between spear and shield, serving as the key to regional security and heart of the global supply chain, he said.
Taiwan is strengthening its national defense by enhancing its asymmetric warfare, defense resilience, reserve combat capabilities and “gray zone” responses, he said.
Chung said Taiwan would boost civilian production and partner with other countries to build a “non-red” drone supply chain, mobilizing society-wide resources to strengthen defense resilience and self-reliance.
Taiwan has already passed a special resilience budget in response to China’s growing “gray zone” incursions, which raised the national defense budget to over three percent of the GDP, he said.
Chung pointed out the US and Taiwan defense industries could cooperate on software development, system design and local production and maintenance so that Taiwan can become a trusted partner in the global defense industry supply chain.
Producing defense equipment in Taiwan is not only a strategic move but an opportunity to upgrade the industry, as it would block risks of the “red” supply chain and ensure the security and technological autonomy of the US and Taiwan defense industries, Chung said.
The US and Taiwan could cooperate more in trade, defense and technology innovation to build a “non-red” supply chain, he said.
Meanwhile, the US has shown goodwill in addressing the delays in arms deliveries to Taiwan, which “are gradually being resolved,” Chung said.
Taiwan has provided the US with a list of pending items for follow-up, and a dedicated American team is now handling the issue, he said.
Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) also spoke at the meeting, saying that Taiwan’s government plans to present a new seven-year special defense budget of NT$1.3 trillion (US$39 billion) by early next month.
It would focus on four priorities: the T-Dome initiative, asymmetric warfare capabilities, expanded strategic reserves and greater self-sufficiency in domestic arms production, Wang said.
About 200 participants attended the annual bilateral defense industry conference this year, which gathers officials, defense industry representatives and think tank experts from Taiwan and the US.
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