2005
Missile Buildup
and Defense
Defense
Minister’s Visit to the U.S.
EU Arms Embargo
~ 2000 ; 2001 ; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004
[News] [Papers]
Weapons
Package Key to Taiwan-U.S. Ties, MOFA Claims
(CNA, Dec. 28, 2005)
The arms procurement package pending in the Legislative Yuan is a decisive
factor in future Taiwan-U.S. relations, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen
said yesterday.
Taipei Rejects Arms Budget
for 42nd Time
(Reuters, Dec. 24, 20050 Taiwan's Defence Ministry has offered to trim a
special budget for US military hardware yet again - from NT$340 billion to
NT$299 billion - as opposition lawmakers yesterday blocked the Bill for the
42nd time.
Ma and Soong Agree on
Stalled Arms Package
(China Post, Dec. 23, 2005) The two opposition
party chairmen said Taiwan should not buy over-priced weapons and equipment. At the same
time, Taiwan should make clear to the United States it is determined to defend itself against attacks from China.
KMT to Scrutinize Any New
Arms Plan
(Taipei Times, Dec. 19, 2005) KMT legislators
said a decision to purchase the weapons would hinge on a number of factors,
and that they wouldn't just `passively' accept a new proposal.
Taiwan Leader Urges Support
for Controversial Arms Package
(AFP, Dec. 17, 2005) Taiwan's president Chen Shui-bian has renewed his call
for the opposition to support a controversial arms deal with the United States,
as the island's navy inaugurated two US-built Kidd-class destroyers.
Taiwan Plans to Build
Airfield on Disputed S. China Sea Island
(Asia Pulse, Dec 16, 2005) Vice Minister of
National Defense Huo Shou-yeh confirmed Thursday that the Taiwan
government will build an airfield on one of the biggest islets of the
disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
Taiwan Set For Delivery Of
Two US-Built Kidd-Class Destroyers
(AFP, Dec. 7, 2005) The first two of four Kidd-class destroyers sold to
Taiwan by the United States are due to arrive at the weekend, bolstering the
navy's defense capabilities against rival China.
Upgrade
Defense Abilities: Japanese Expert
(Taipei Times, Nov. 6, 2005) The passage of the
special arms procurement budget is crucial for raising the nation's defense
capabilities and ensuring smooth cooperation with the US and Japan in a
Taiwan Strait crisis, a Japanese strategic expert said.
US Approves $280 mln Missile
Sale to Taiwan
(Reuters, Oct.
27, 2005) The U.S. Defense Department
notified Congress that it had approved the sale to Taiwan
of 10 AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles and 5 AIM-7M Sparrow missiles.
MND Says U.S. 'Impatient'
Story Untrue
(Taiwan News, Oct. 25, 2005) Sources reported after 33 legislative rejections
of the arms procurement package, the United States is planning to adjust the
contents of its foreign military sale to Taiwan, yet National Defense Deputy
Minister Huoh Shoou-yeh denied such rumors.
Ex-President Says Taiwan
Needs Missiles
(WP, Oct. 19, 2005) Taiwan's former president, Lee Teng-hui, said that a
growing military imbalance with China has made it increasingly necessary for
the island to acquire "some kind of long-range missiles" that would
give it an offensive capability.
US Official Urges Switch to
'Defense'
(Associated Press, Oct. 16, 2005) Admiral William
Fallon, head of the US Pacific Command, said that the
nation could best protect itself by investing more in mines and other
defensive weapons, not offensive ones.
Taiwan to Launch $394m 'Spy
Satellite'
(AFP, Oct. 10, 2005) Taiwan plans to launch a spy satellite costing $US300
million as a result of China's continued hostility towards the island, a
newspaper reported.
Taiwan President Pledges to
Boost Island's Defenses
(AP, Oct.
10, 2005) In a national day speech,
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian accused China
of refusing to pursue democracy and peace, and pledged to strengthen the
island's defenses against its historic rival.
KMT's Arms Stance Not Viewed
on Future Presidency: Ma
(China Post, Oct. 9, 2005) Chairman Ma
Ying-jeou of the opposition Kuomintang said that his party supports
"reasonable" arms procurements and will not consider the issue from
the point of view of a possible future ruling party.
U.S. Urges Taiwan Not to Buy
Offensive Weapons
(Washington Times, Oct. 8, 2005) Senior officers of the U.S. Pacific Command
have quietly urged military leaders of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to
forgo purchases of some high-tech weapons with offensive capabilities.
Taiwan President Offers to
Brief MPs on Arms Deal
(Reuters, Oct. 6, 2005) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, under pressure from
Washington to pass an arms package blocked by opposition lawmakers, offered
to deliver a report in parliament to seek support for the $11 billion special
budget.
KMT Says Its Stance on Arms
Deal Unchanged
(Taiwan News, Oct. 4, 2005) The opposition Kuomintang party denied a newspaper
report that it planned to "conditionally" refer the Executive
Yuan's budget bill of the U.S. arms purchase to the Legislative Defense
Committee for review after the December 3 three-in-one election.
KMT, DPP Debate Tsai's Logic
on 2004 Referendum
(CNA, Sep. 30, 20050 Both ruling and opposition lawmakers challenged Vice
Minister of National Defense Tsai Ming-hsien's argument that the government
can still propose a budget for buying anti-missile equipment.
Arms Bill Has to Pass
Eventually, President Says
(CNA, Sep.
29, 2005) President Chen Shui-bian said
that a long-stalled arms procurement package has to be passed in the end, and
opposition leaders and the United States know this "clearly."
Pan-Blue Lawmakers Rule Out
Buying Patriot Missiles
(Taipei Times, Sep. 27, 2005) Pan-blue
legislators said they will not approve the bill for the purchase of Patriot
missile batteries because the referendum held last year in tandem with the
presidential poll was a public "veto" of the purchase.
Submarines to Carry New
Missiles, Jane's Reports
(AFP, Sep. 26, 2005) Taiwan plans to equip its two Dutch-built submarines
with Harpoon anti-ship missiles that could be used to attack key Chinese
naval bases, Jane's Defense Weekly said.
Cost of Joint Japan-U.S.
Interceptor System Triples
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Sep. 25, 20050 The U.S. government has told the Japanese
government that the estimated cost of the two countries' joint development of
a next-generation missile interceptor system would be about 3 billion dollars
(321 billion yen)--nearly triple the initial estimate.
Thousands March to Support
Taiwan Arms Deal with the US
(Reuters, Sep. 26, 20050 Thousands of Taiwan people, mostly from
pro-independence groups, marched through the streets of Taipei to back a
special arms budget blocked by opposition parties.
MND Chief 'Not Threatened'
by U.S. Warning
(China Post, Sep. 24, 2005) Defense Minister Lee Jye said he did not feel
threatened by a warning issued by a Pentagon official who said the United
States would not defend Taiwan if the island refused to raise its defense
budget.
Pan-Blues Criticize US
Warning
(Taipei Times, Sep. 22, 2005) KMT legislators
suggested that the US did not understand Taiwan's
situation and was in no place to urge passage of the US arms
package.
U.S.-Taiwan Defense
Conference Opens
(CNA, Sep.
21, 2005) The fourth U.S.-Taiwan national
defense industry conference opened in San Diegoy, with more than 100 representatives
from the United States and Taiwan attending.
Reducing Budget for Repair
of Arms a Concern, Says PFP
(CNA, Sep.
20, 2005) An opposition People First
Party lawmaker questioned the government's policy of spending less money on
the maintenance of military equipment as "this policy will place
military personnel in an unsafe environment."
Opposition Rejects Call to
Pass Arms Budget
(China Post, Sep. 19, 2005) President Chen
Shui-bian urged opposition lawmakers to support a billion-dollar special
budget for purchasing U.S. weaponry -- but the opposition rejected his calls.
Chinese Sub Sighted in June:
MND
(Taipei Times, Sep. 18, 2005) The defense
ministry confirmed that a Chinese nuclear sub had surfaced near five navy
vessels, but denied that alert levels had been raised.
US Losing Patience as Taiwan
Dithers Over Weapons Deal
(Straits Times, Sep. 17, 2005) The United
States is increasingly frustrated with Taiwan's
reluctance to approve the purchase of an American weapons package to bolster
the island's defenses.
US Officials Urge Taiwan to
Increase Defense Budget
(CNA, Sep
14, 2005) The US has suggested that Taiwan
raise its defense budget to 3.5 percent of its GDP to prevent the
cross-strait military balance from tilting further in favor of China,
a Japanese economic daily reported.
Ma, Soong Agree to Oppose
Special Weapons Budget
(China Post, Sep.
8, 2005) The leaders of the two main
opposition parties agreed yesterday to jointly oppose a NT$340 billion
special arms budget proposed by the government.
Arms Package Fails to Make
It onto Agenda
(Taiwan News, Sep. 7, 2005) The military
procurement package and nominations for Control Yuan members failed to make
it onto the legislative agenda for next week after opposition parties
declined to support them.
EU Says Lifting of China
Arms Embargo on Long-Term Agenda
(AFX, Sep. 6, 2005) Europe's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the
European Union's arms embargo on China will be lifted eventually, but gave no
timetable.
China Warns US Help to
Taiwan on Missile Defense Will Erode Trust (AFP, Sep. 1, 2005) China
has warned any help given to Taiwan
to protect itself against a missile threat would erode trust and undermine
regional peace and stability.
Changes in Defense Budget
Seen as 'A Grueling Decision'
(Taiwan News, Aug. 31, 2005) Minister of National Defense Lee Jye said it has
been a "grueling" experience for him to decide to use the regular
budget to purchase badly needed Patriot III anti-missile batteries.
Taiwan Trims Arms Budget in
Bid to Get Bill Passed
(Reuters, Aug. 30, 2005) Taiwan will trim a proposed special arms budget,
aimed at fending off rival China, to US$11 billion from US$15 billion, in a
bid to push the bill through an opposition-dominated parliament, the
government said.
US Denies Talks Have Been
Cancelled
(TT, Aug. 28, 2005) Next month's planned high-level military talks between
the US and Taiwan have not been cancelled, but have been postponed to enable
high-level US defense officials to attend the talks, Pentagon sources say.
US Cancels Defense Meet with
Taiwan
Taipei Times, Aug. 26, 2005) Seeking to placate Beijing ahead of next month's
visit to the US by Chinese President Hu Jintao, the Bush administration has
canceled high-level annual defense talks with Taiwan.
Taiwan to Trim Arms Budget
for Approval
(Reuters, Aug.
25, 2005) Taiwan
will further trim a proposed US$15 billion arms budget to push through the
deal in the opposition-dominated parliament, the defense ministry said.
China and Russia Conduct
Naval Blockade
(AFP, Aug. 24, 2005) Chinese destroyers,
submarines and fighter planes coordinated with a Russian missile destroyer
and anti-submarine vessels in ongoing war games simulating a naval blockade.
Taiwan in Talks with US
Firms on Military Copter Deals – Report (AFX, Aug. 22, 2005) Taiwan is in talks with US
companies to purchase dozens of attack and transport helicopters and upgrade
the AH-1W Super Cobra attack fleet serving the army, Jane's defense weekly
said.
China, Russia Begin First
Joint Military Exercises
(Bloomberg, Aug. 18, 20050 China and Russia started their first joint
military exercise, with army, naval and air force units performing maneuvers
in the Russian Far East and China's northern coastal Shandong province.
Taiwan’s Troops Hold
'Chinese-Invasion' Drill
(AFP, Aug. 18, 2005) On the eve of joint
exercises by Beijing and Moscow, Taiwan's military staged an
exercise simulating a Chinese invasion.
Parris Chang Says the US,
Japan Will Defend Taiwan
(CNA, Aug 14, 2005) Citing a joint
statement issued by the US and Japan on Feb. 19, Chang
claimed this is a promise to defend Taiwan from an attack by China.
Defense Ministry Rejects
Missile Deployment Story
(CNA Aug. 13, 2005) The Ministry of
National Defense referred to a media report claiming that locally-built
cruise missiles have secretly begun to be deployed on the island as a
"sheer fabrication"
Taiwan Begins Deployment of
Cruise Missiles
(AFP, Aug. 12, 2005) Taiwan has begun deploying
home-made cruise missiles on mobile launchers and that they are capable of
hitting major military targets in southeast China, a newspaper here
reported.
US Military Delegation Holds
Talks
(Taipei Times, Aug. 12, 2005) A delegation of US
military officials is in Taipei and has held joint
talks with senior Taiwanese military officials. The talks are part of a
series of high-level security discussions that Taiwan regularly has with
the US.
Ma Says He Is Not Against
Arms Deal
(CNA, Aug. 7, 2005) KMT Chairman-elect
Ma Ying-jeou said that he will not oppose the arms procurement package simply
because it is listed under a special budget.
Chen's Tripartite Call
Against China
(Straits Times, Aug. 5, 2005) Taiwan, Japan and the US must cooperate
militarily against China to prevent the Taiwan Strait from becoming a
'Chinese sea lane' and thus closed off to Japanese ships, Taiwan President Chen
Shui-bian has said.
Taiwan Stages Military Drill
Simulating Chinese Blockade
(AFP, Aug. 4, 2005) Taiwan has held a military
drill simulating a naval blockade of two southern harbors, officials said. In
the exercise off a major naval base in southern Tsoying city, US-built and
French-built warships mobilized along with F-16 jet fighters.
Opposition Pans U.S. Scholar
over Arms Purchase Comments (Taiwan
News, July
31, 2005) Opposition lawmakers dismissed
criticism by a U.S. scholar who recently argued that the White House and the U.S.
Congress should cut ties with what he called pro-China opposition parties if
they persisted in blocking the arms package.
Military Exercises Aimed at
Deterring Chinese Invasion Judged as Successful (Reuters, July 28, 2005) Taiwan
staged military exercises yesterday aimed at repelling a Chinese invasion, a
week after the United
States said China's
military modernization drive had tilted the balance in Beijing's favor.
Beijing's Missiles Can Even
Reach New Zealand: Chen
(China Post, July 27, 2005) President Chen
Shui-bian warned that arch-rival China's
growing missile build-up not only posed a threat to the democratic island,
but also endangered the world.
Taiwan's Chen Urges
Opposition to Back Arms Deal
(Reuters, July 25, 20050 Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian vented his
frustration at opposition parties over a stalled $15 billion arms budget,
calling on them to support a special parliament session to push through the
deal.
China Distances Itself from
Nuclear Weapons Threat against United States
(AFP, July 22, 2005) China has distanced itself from reported comments by a
general last week that Beijing could use nuclear weapons to retaliate against
the United States if it attacked over Taiwan.
Taiwan Hails US Report on
China's Military Might
(AFP, July 21, 2005) Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian has hailed a US Pentagon report on China's
military build-up that Beijing protested as interference in its internal affairs.
US Says China Not a Threat
Despite Military Concerns
(AFP, July 21,
2005) The United States does not consider
China a threat, the White House said after China
protested about a Defense Department report which expressed concern about its
military buildup.
Calling In Envoy, Beijing
Assails Pentagon Report
(NYT, July
21, 2005) China's
Foreign Ministry called in a senior American diplomat in Beijing to
denounce a Pentagon report on China's
military strength.
U.S. Rebukes Chinese General
for His Threat of Nuclear Arms Use (NYT, July 16, 2005) A Chinese general who said his country would
use nuclear weapons against the United States if the American military
intervened in any conflict with Taiwan drew a sharp rebuke from the Bush
administration.
China, Firm on Taiwan, Says
General's Words His Own
(Reuters, July 16, 2005) Remarks by a Chinese general that Beijing could use
nuclear arms against the United States in a war over Taiwan were his personal
views, but China will never allow Taiwan to be independent, China's Foreign
Ministry said.
Chinese General Threatens Use
of A-Bombs if U.S. Intrudes
(New York Times, July 15, 2005) China should use nuclear weapons against the
United States if the American military intervenes in any conflict over
Taiwan, a senior Chinese military official said.
DPP to Blame for Arms Delay:
Lien
(China Post, July 12, 2005) Kuomintang leader Lien Chan told former U.S.
deputy assistant secretary of state Randall Schriver that it was the ruling
Democratic Progressive Party's fault that parliament had not passed a
billion-dollar arms deal.
Taiwan Carries Out Military
Maneuvers
(AP, July 7, 2005) Taiwanese troops on Thursday carried out a major military
exercise aimed at fending off an invasion from China, four months after
Beijing passed a law threatening force if Taiwan moves toward independence.
Taiwan Needs More Arms to
Counter China – Report
(Reuters, July 4, 2005) Taiwan needs to buy more attack weapons to counter a
rapid arms build-up by rival China, United Daily News reported. The paper did
not specify the types of weapon, saying only they would be for offensive
purposes.
Taiwan Says U.S. Arms Deal
Will Fend Off China
(Reuters, June 28, 2005) Taiwan risks losing its military edge over
ideological foe China -- and support from the United
States -- if parliament fails to approve a US$15 billion arms
budget, a senior defense ministry official said.
Taiwan to Get US Early
Warning Radar
(Reuters, June 24, 2005) The US Defense Department has said it would supply
Taiwan with key elements of a missile and air defense capability, a move
aimed at defusing the threat from China.
China Tested New Missile, US
Source Confirms
(AP, June 24, 2005) The Chinese military successfully launched a long-range
ballistic missile from a submarine in a test this month, marking an advance
in their known technical capability, a US defense official said.
Officials to Hold Military
Talks with US
(Taipei Times, Jun 24, 2005) Two senior Taiwanese government officials will
be in Washington next week to discuss ways to improve military relations
between Taiwan and the US.
China Test-Fires New
Submarine-Launched Missile
(Yomiuri Shimbun, June 18, 2005) China test-fired a new long-range,
submarine-launched ballistic missile. The new missile is believed to be the
Ju Lang-2, a modified version of the intercontinental ballistic missile Dong
Feng-31 that has a range of about 8,000 kilometers.
US Representatives Urge
Passage of Arms Budget
(Taipei Times, May 28, 2005) Citing concerns about Taiwan's defense
abilities, dozens of members of Congress sent a letter to Lien Chan urging
the KMT to end its boycott.
Don't Train Taiwan Military,
China Warns U.S.
(Reuters, May 28, 2005) China today asked Washington to stop an effort by US
lawmakers to establish a military training program for rival Taiwan.
US Denies Deadline on Arms
Purchases
(Taipei Times, May 26, 2005) Officials in Washington say that US policy has
not changed, and that they are committed to the arms deal -- regardless of
the legislature's intransigence.
Taiwan Opposition Blocks
Arms-Deal Debate
(Reuters, May 25, 2005) Taiwan opposition lawmakers have again blocked a
NT$480 billion arms budget from being discussed in the current legislative
session.
Taiwan Says 2nd Chinese Ship
Enters Its Waters
(Reuters, May 24, 2005) Taiwan sent coast guard ships and a helicopter to
push back a Chinese research vessel that it said had entered its waters, the
second such intrusion in a month.
US Gives Taiwan Deadline on
Aircraft Sales: Official
(Taipei Times, May 24, 2005) According to the defense minister, the US will
sell 12 maritime patrol planes elsewhere if the legislature doesn't approve
the arms bill by month's end.
Taiwan Detains Officer for
Leaking Secrets to China
(Reuters, May 11, 2005) Taiwan has detained an intelligence officer on
suspicions he leaked defense secrets to rival China, forcing the defense
ministry to swing into damage control.
Taiwan Navy Could Hold Off
Chinese 'for Two Weeks'
(AP, Apr. 27, 2005) A compute-simulated war game has confirmed a Taiwanese
military theory that the island's naval fleet - led by US-built destroyers -
could hold on for at least two weeks in the event of a mainland Chinese
attack.
Taiwan Tests Defenses with
Computer Drills
(AFP, Apr. 19, 2005) Taiwan's Defense Ministry launched a five-day
computer-simulated wargame to test the island's defense capabilities against
China.
PLA Purchase of French
Fighters Concerns Taiwan, Military Says
(Taiwan News, Apr. 12, 2005) Taiwan's Air Force is concerned over China's
intention to buy French-made Mirage 2000-9 fighters once the European weapon
sales embargo on China is lifted.
Military Sees China Sea
Dominance in Taiwan Strait by 2015
(China Post, Mar. 24, 2005) The military predicted China would have the
ability to build a big enough air carrier fleet to gain sea dominance in the
Taiwan Strait by 2015 in a bid to drum up
support for a controversial billion-dollar U.S. arms deal.
Defense Chief Sees Mainland
Attack in 5 to 10 Years' Time
(China Post, Mar. 10, 2005) Minister of National Defense Lee Jye predicted
China will attack Taiwan in five to ten years.
U.S. Lawmakers Warn Europe
on Arms Sales to China
(NYT, Mar. 2, 2005) Senior members of Congress from both parties emerged from
a meeting with President Bush warning Europe that if it lifts its ban on arms
sales to China, the United States may retaliate with severe restrictions on
technology sales to European companies.
MND Makes 23% Price Cut for
U.S. Arms Purchase
(China Post, Feb. 23, 2005) Minister of National Defense Lee Jye said he is
ready to make a 23 percent price cut to win legislative support for passing a
US$18 billion arms purchase bill.
Taiwan Navy to Put on Show
of Long-Range Power
(AFP, Feb. 22, 2005) Taiwan's navy plans to embark next month on its first
round-the-world voyage, which will include port calls in countries which
recognize Beijing.
Defense Firm Drops Radar Bid
for Taipei
(AFP, Feb. 7, 2005) US Defense giant Lockheed Martin has withdrawn its bid to
supply Taiwan with an early-warning radar system as the island was
reconsidering the controversial arms deal.
Taiwan Unveils Armored
Vehicle
(Taiwan News, Jan. 12, 2005) A new feline that can handle Taiwan's rough
terrain has joined the country's military. The eight-wheeled vehicle
represents a breakthrough for the military which previously had to buy more
expensive foreign equipment.
Taiwan Successfully
Test-Fires Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile
(AP, Jan. 7, 2005) Taiwan successfully test-fired a new locally developed
supersonic anti-ship missile that could reach the coast of rival China, a
newspaper reported.
US Plans to Buy Ammunition
from Taiwan: Report
(AFP, Jan. 7, 2004) The US has plans to buy hundreds of millions of bullets
from Taiwan in the first such deal ever as its supplies run low due
to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Taiwan to Purchase over 400
Hellfire Missiles
(CNA, Jan. 6, 2005) Taiwan will purchase more than 400 Hellfire missiles from
the United States, worth a total of about US$50 million, American defense
industry sources said.
Fighter Jets May Be
Mothballed
(CNA, Jan. 4, 2005) Because of Taiwan's high humidity and other reasons, the
Ministry of National Defense is considering putting away its planes.
China May Have Upper Hand in
Five Years: US Report
(Taipei Times, Nov. 30, 2005) Within five years, China's armed forces may be
able to prevent the US from coming to Taiwan's aid against a military attack
from China, a new US congressional report warns.
Taiwan's Cold Feet By Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, Oct. 3, 2005) The 2001 list may not be
optimal, but with these weapons, Taiwan can keep the cost to the mainland
sufficiently high so as to act as a deterrent. That in turn would reassure its
few friends that Taiwan is prepared to stand up for itself.
Time Running Out as Taiwan
Wrings Hands over US Arms By Alice
Hung (Reuters, Oct. 2, 2005) Time is running out
for Taiwan as parliament agonizes over a huge U.S. weapons package seen as
critical in maintaining the balance of power with China and as Washington all
but throws its arms in the air in frustration.
Domestic Factors and the
U.S. Arms Sale to Taiwan By Philip
Yang (Taipei Times, Sep. 30, 2005) Taiwan's
purchase of arms from the US is not a simple military problem, but is a
complex issue that is critical to the security of the cross-strait situations
and the relationship between Taiwan, the US and China.
For Taiwan, American Rock,
Chinese Hard Place By Todd
Crowell (Asia Times, Sep. 30, 2005) For months
Washington has been growing increasingly frustrated by Taiwan's lack of
spending on national defense in the face of China's rising arms expenditures
and force modernization.
Finessing a Tougher
Taiwanese Defense By Richard
Halloran
(Japan Times, Sep. 27, 2005) The new commander of American forces in Asia and
the Pacific, Adm. William J. Fallon, has begun making subtle but distinctive
changes in his command's endeavor to keep the peace between Taiwan and China.
Taiwan's Turn By Justin Logan
(Washington Times, Sep. 26, 2005) In the face of this dire threat, Taiwan has displayed a stunning
neglect of its own defense, and not just in terms of its refusal to pass the
special budget. Over the last five years, Taiwan's overall defense spending
has dropped roughly 25 percent.
Taiwan Needs Consensus on
Defense
(Editorial, Taipei Times, Sep. 22, 2005) It is time for all the people of
Taiwan to reach a consensus on national security and show the US that Taiwan
is no coward, nor a baby that knows only how to cry for help but refuses to
help itself.
Taiwan Strait Tension Easing
(Reuters, Sep. 21, 2005) Taiwan and China can probably avoid military
conflict for the remainder of President Chen Shui-bian's term, which ends in
May 2008, but the Taiwan Strait remains a dangerous region, according to a report
by a security group.
Stand Up for Yourselves,
Lawless Tells Taiwanese
(Taipei Times, Sep. 21, 2005) US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East
Asia Richard Lawless yesterday issued a blunt statement on Taiwan's blocked
arms-procurement bill.
U.S. Should Hold Arms Deal
(Editorial, China Post, Aug. 31, 20050 Washington appears desperate. It no
longer hides its impatience with Taiwan over the failure to conclude the deal
of a robust package of advanced weapons that President Bush offered to sell.
Drills Put U.S. Navy on
Notice By Richard Halloran
(Japan Times, Aug. 30, 20050 Soon after Adm. Gary Roughhead took the helm as
the new commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Chinese and Russian armed
forces gave him something to think about.
Quiet Taiwan Strait a Big
Relief to US By Roger Mitton
(Straits Times, Aug. 26, 2005) There is tremendous relief in the United
States that tensions over the Taiwan Strait have lessened considerably in the
past six months.
'Peace Mission' Against the
U.S.? By Ariel Cohen
(Washington Times, Aug. 25, 2005) The unprecedented Sino-Russian first joint
military exercises on Aug. 18-25 have raised concerns in Washington.
"The correlation of forces in Eurasia is shifting against the
U.S.", says a senior State Department.
China's War Games Also Send
Message to Taiwan
(Sydney Morning Herald, Aug. 22, 2005) A parachute drop by Russian special
forces at a Chinese army training ground has signalled a growing challenge by
two former communist rivals to the US strategic presence in Asia.
Taiwan Skimping on Defense
Readiness By Richard Halloran
(Japan Times, Aug. 22, 2005) The political leaders of Taiwan, both government
and opposition, are in serious danger of misreading or ignoring the
increasingly stiff warning signals coming from Washington.
Russian-Chinese Maneuvers
Send a Message By Philip Bowring (International Herald
Tribune, Aug. 20, 2005) The two are reminding the United States of the limits
of its unilateral global power. The exercises are also a way for each country
to deliver a message to the other, as well as to their Northeast Asian
neighbors.
China-Russia War games Send
Message to US, Taiwan
(CNSNews, Aug. 18, 2005) Analysts generally agree Beijing and Moscow are
sending a message to the United States and its military presence in the
Pacific and, especially, in Central Asia.
War Games Seen as 'Message' By Bill Gertz
(Washington Times, Aug. 17, 2005) A joint Chinese and Russian military
exercise is meant as a political signal to the United States, in addition to
helping Moscow showcase its weapons for sale to China, U.S. defense and
intelligence officials said.
Taiwan Has to Bolster Its
Defenses and Resolve By Shu Chin-chiang (Taipei
Times, Aug. 11, 2005) Given the threat that exists from China, Taiwan should
form an Asia-Pacific security community with the US and Japan, to deal with
Beijing's military rise.
A Brief History of Nuclear
Weapons By Yuan
Jing-dong
(Taipei Times, Aug. 7, 2005) Nuclear weapons, the most formidable and destructive weapons
ever invented and then built by mankind, have cast a dark shadow over
humanity for six decades.
U.S. Military Seen as
Taiwan's 'Secret Weapon'
(Central News Agency, Aug. 3, 2005) Taiwan should continue to treat the
United States as its "secret weapon" as it faces military threats
from China, Eric A. McVadon said.
Chinese Buildup Seen as
Threat to Region By Ann Scott Tyson
(Washington Post, July 20, 2005) China's military buildup is broadening the
reach of its forces in Asia and poses a long-term threat not only to Taiwan
but to the U.S. military in the Pacific and to regional powers such as India
and Japan, according to an assessment released yesterday by the Pentagon.
China's Military Geared to
Deterring Taiwan, Report Says By Thom Shanker and David E. Sanger
(NYT, July 20, 2005) China is modernizing its military and emphasizing
preparations "to fight and win short-duration, high-intensity
conflicts" over Taiwan, the Pentagon said Tuesday with the release of
its annual report on Chinese military power.
The Military Power of the
People’s Republic of China 2005
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Chen's Strategic Plans May Put
Taiwan at Risk
(Editorial, China Post, July 7, 2005) The administration of President Chen
Shui-bian is effecting fundamental changes in the island's diplomatic and
military strategies.
Taiwan at Critical Juncture,
Needs Arms: Chen
(CNA, June 30, 2005) President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan is now at a
critical juncture of metamorphosis on many fronts, including constitutional
reform, the detente across the Taiwan Strait, diplomatic development and the
upgrading of national defense.
Israeli-produced
Drone Poses A Big Threat to Taiwan, Says Expert
(AP, June 22, 2005) Israeli-made drone aircraft at
the heart of a fierce political row between Israel and the U.S. are likely to
be a key element of any Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a Taiwanese military
analyst said yesterday.
Upsetting Asia's Delicate
Balance By Michael Elliott
(Time Asia, Mar. 7, 2005) The security of Taiwan, however, does not seem to
have entered into European calculations. Though Europeans seem blithely
unaware of it, the strategic balance in East Asia is extraordinarily fragile.
Don't Lift the Arms Embargo
on China By David Shambaugh
(International Herald Tribune, Feb. 23, 2005) China will just have to live
with it until it comes to terms with Tiananmen and stops putting military
pressure on Taiwan.
An Arms Cornucopia For
China? By John Rossant
(BusinessWeek, Feb. 21, 2005) Europe will probably lift its embargo, but
companies will be careful what they sell. All of the
European defense contractors want more business in the U.S., and they are
starting to get it.
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