The US is impressed by the leadership of Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the thoroughness of its assessment of defense needs, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said.
Greene made the remarks in an interview with CommonWealth published yesterday when asked about the government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.7 billion) special defense budget.
The opposition blocked the special defense budget for the 10th time during the Procedure Committee’s Tuesday meeting.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Asked how he viewed the defense budget being blocked, Greene said the US is a democracy and appreciates differences in opinion among political parties.
However, there is no strong disagreement between Republicans and Democrats in Washington over US policy on Taiwan, he said.
The US hopes that Taiwanese parties would prioritize the nation’s security and defense over partisan differences, and focus on what their nation needs, Greene said.
The AIT has facilitated numerous visits by congressional delegations that included members of both US parties, all of whom expressed firm support for Taiwan as a matter of US national security interest, he said.
The current National Security Strategy, published last month, clearly affirmed the vital importance of the first island chain to the Indo-Pacific region and US national security, Greene said.
Taiwan is the keystone of the island chain and plays a crucial role in that security vision, he said, referring to the proceedings of the US’ Indo-Pacific Command’s regional ambassadors conference in Hawaii on Jan. 16.
The defense ministry displayed impressive feats of leadership and judgement in assessing the nation’s defensive requirements, including military planning, training and equipment, he said.
Taiwan has made admirable strides to improve its defensive capabilities by embracing an erosion strategy that should prove viable so long as the nation obtains the resources it needs, he said.
A defense industrial base is crucial to provide the Taiwanese armed forces with arms and resilience during a conflict, he said.
An indigenous Taiwanese arms sector would also contribute to meeting a global demand for defense materiel, he added.
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